The Protector
by Angela Jewell
Summary: ALTERNATE REALITY FIC: Ranma becomes Akane's bodyguard after she accidentally defeats Shampoo in combat. But what happens when Ranma starts feeling more for his client than just protective? Same characters, similar situations, but whole new twists!
1. Here comes Ranma!

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)  
_Last Revised: 12-07-08_

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By Angela Jewell

_An Alternate Reality Fanfic: Same beloved characters, but whole new situations_

Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi—there are lots of other names that are supposed to go here as well, but sadly, they all escape me. And more importantly, none of them are mine.

* * *

**Chapter 1**  
Here Comes… _Ranma_?!

* * *

It wasn't like the last time.

Last time had been easy—no challenge there. But now, he could actually _feel_ himself tiring. His legs and muscles ached from the strain and his back burned from where the knife had cut him. Despite all of this, he kept on fighting. Ignoring the pain, he'd found, was the _easy_ part—besides, he'd survived worse.

The solution was simple: Push the pain to the back of his mind and concentrate on the problem at hand. In this case it was a Chinese martial artist, who— despite his supposed skill— felt the need to carry a knife to even the score.

The problem was, so far, it seemed to be working.

As a martial artist himself, one rule had been ingrained into his brain for as long as he could remember: _**Never**_, under any circumstance, underestimate your opponent. Unfortunately for his opponent, that particular rule was _not_ one of Ranma's strong-points.

Yet, somehow, _still_… Ranma Saotome _**never**_ lost.

"Come on!" he laughed, dodging another thrust of the knife, goading his attacker on. "I've seen _grannies_ that could fight better'n you! And they look better to boot!"

The assassin's face twisted into an angry scowl, the veins straining at his neck as his grip on the knife noticeably tightened.

Ranma, seeing this, smiled.

It had taken awhile, but the guy finally seemed to be cracking. He was getting angry now—and with anger, came careless, stupid, mistakes. Only a fool would let his emotions control his actions like that, especially in a fight that could prove fatal. But Ranma couldn't be happier—a fool for an opponent was exactly what he had been counting on.

"That's it, you little shit," his attacker hissed, "keep talking yourself right into your grave!" With astonishing speed, he launched himself at Ranma, his anger and indignation propelling him forward.

But Ranma saw him coming a mile away; he jumped above his outstretched arm with plenty of time to spare. "Man, talk about predictable," he grinned. In the midst of his flight, he kicked the knife out of his adversary's hand and far out of his reach.

The man clenched his fist as he glanced around the surrounding area, trying to find where the knife had flown—that alone was surprising, seeing as how Ranma _knew_ he could fight just as well without it. Maybe it was his lucky knife, he thought with a smile—some assassins were known to carry some real strange attachments.

But his opponent wasn't distracted for long; soon he had resumed his attacks, coming at him with renewed vigor. But whether he realized it or not, he had begun driving Ranma in the general direction his knife had flown—a thick patch of tall, unruly grass that wouldn't trap or restrict Ranma's movements in the least. "Ya know," said Ranma at last, dodging another uppercut aimed at his chin. "It ain't a good idea to depend on weapons _too_ much, seeing how it can make ya sloppy an all."

"What do you know?" the man snarled angrily. "I don't need a weapon to kick your ass!"

Ranma raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh, really?" he laughed. "That's not what it looks like from where I'm standin'."

The assassin gave another loud battle cry as he launched into a series of complex and flashy combination attacks—kicks, jabs, aerial strikes—all of which Ranma avoided easily. And he could see his opponent getting more and more furious as his attacks remained ineffective—and with his knife gone, another disadvantage Ranma hadn't even counted on, emerged—his rival was _distracted_. Even now, his eyes kept straying to the tempting patch of grass off to his left; searching for a gleam, a glint, anything that would alert him to his precious knife's location.

Definitely something weird about that knife, Ranma decided. Family heirloom, maybe…? Passed on from assassin to assassin…? Hell, from what he remembered of his own family, they'd had some pretty bizarre customs… who was he to knock this one?

Finally, the man seemed to realize his attacks were getting him nowhere. Just as abruptly as they started, they stopped. Now, keeping himself at a distance, he stood across from Ranma—breathing deeply as he silently appraised his rival for any noticeable weaknesses.

Ranma, not worried in the least, and confident that the fight was now strongly in his favor, crossed his arms against his chest; taking pains to look relaxed and untroubled. It was all an act, of course—in seconds, he could be back on the defensive without even breaking a sweat. But even now he could see the effect his apparent indifference had on his rival—his jaw tightened, his body grew rigid and angry, his eyes, full of fire. _Nothing_ was more aggravating than a rival who no longer viewed you as a threat—if anything could push his opponent over the edge, _this_ could.

"Jeez, can't you tell when you've had enough?" Ranma asked, his voice flat and bored as he shook his head. "There's no WAY you can beat me without your little toy over there." No longer bothering to be discreet, he motioned to the spot where the knife lay hidden, not at all surprised to find the assassin following his gaze.

But unlike Ranma, he must have seen something he liked—a smile spread quickly over his face, only to be replaced by an expression that was both guarded and unreadable. The hired assassin stepped out of his defensive position and took a stance similar to Ranma's. "You're right," he replied flatly, his tone dead and hard as he slowly and sadly made his way towards the mount of grass by his side. "I give up. There's no point in continuing this stupid fight—I know when to call it quits."

Ranma fought back a smile. _Seriously_—_did this jerk think he was born __**yesterday**__? _But if that's the way he wanted to play it, Ranma would gladly play along. "Ya mean it?" he asked carefully, suspiciously. "You're really ready to give up and surrender?"

The man hung his head, his spiky hair falling just enough to cover his eyes. "That's right," he replied, sighing. "I know I can't beat you, so why continue? Even a guy like me knows when it's better to cut my losses and just give up—you are simply too powerful for me to beat."

This time, Ranma really did smile. The guy was laying it on a little thick—but that's not to say Ranma didn't _like_ it. "So you DO have a brain," he replied, laughing lightly. "I stand corrected."

The hit man kept his head lowered, his expression hidden behind the spiky-shadows of his hair. Ranma took a cautious step forward, his legs braced and ready for anything. "Well, I gotta tell ya, you're doin' the right thing…not many people do. To tell you the truth, no one's ever actually, uh...given up before…well, voluntarily, I mean." His hand slipped unnoticed behind his head as he continued to advance closer. He could see the knife as well now; its hilt just barely visible within the grass. Not that it mattered in the least…

"Oh, really?" the man asked innocently, finally lifting his head to meet Ranma's eyes. "I wonder WHY—" With a burst of energy, the assassin lunged forward, swinging his right leg through the air and straight towards Ranma—but Ranma was ready and blocked it easily with his right arm. But of course, that wasn't the true purpose of the assassin's attack. Without pause, he threw himself to the left—towards the clump of grass where his abandoned knife lay.

Ranma smirked. How completely unexpected…

While the assassin was reaching for his knife, Ranma kicked him swiftly in the back of the head, forcing him down till he was lying flat on his stomach. "Did you REALLY think I was that stupid?" he asked, kicking him once more for good measure. He could see his rival's hand pawing at the ground behind him, searching frantically for the knife he could no longer see. But Ranma could—and he was almost tempted to pick it up and hand it over; to humor the poor sap right till the end. But the fight had already lasted much longer than necessary.

It was time to end it.

Before the assassin even knew what hit him, Ranma placed two fingers against the base of his neck, and pressing firmly, watched the man's entire body begin to tense and freeze; his arms and legs jerking in place where he lay. Two seconds later, and he had stopped moving completely. Ranma stepped back in satisfaction, admiring his handiwork. The assassin's body was lying prone on the ground, his knife two inches from his outstretched fingers.

Feeling generous, Ranma bent down and retrieved the knife—and then proceeded to stick it firmly into the ground, pinning it directly through his opponent's shirt. "Now then," he began, crouching down lower to the ground, bringing himself level with his adversary. Grabbing the man's hair in his hand, he yanked his head up, forcing the man to meet his gaze. "Ya wanna start talking… or do I gotta get mean?"

Lying immobile and helpless on the grass, The Chinese Assassin's eyes widened ever so slightly. And Ranma tightened his grip to illustrate his point. Five minutes later he had all the information he needed, including the name of the assassin's contact, along with a brief history of his knife—it had been his father's last possession; the only thing left to remember him by. Typical and predictable—disappointing on all fronts.

Finally, Ranma released him, the sound of sirens approaching in the distance. His earlier worries had disappeared long ago—now, in hindsight, this entire battle had seemed almost _too_ easy.

Shaking his head sadly, Ranma sighed.

He couldn't help but wonder if he was getting toogood at this job...

…Or if his opponents were just getting worse at theirs.

* * *

  
His boss wasn't a large man. At first glance he appeared meek, quiet, and unassuming—_definitely_ not the type who'd choose a living dealing with bodyguards, killers, and hit-men on a daily basis. But Yamamoto Yuuto was living proof that you could never judge a book by its cover. Ranma had seen that same quiet, be-speckled man, take down a ruthless, angry killer three times his size in thirty-seconds flat—impressive, even by Ranma's standards.

Still, he couldn't say he exactly _liked_ the guy. Ever since he hit it big in a high-profile kidnapping case, Yamamoto had become too arrogant; too cocky; too full of himself to tolerate for long. Not only had he won some dumb award for protecting some rich and snobby councillor's son, but he'd even been given a promotion to any department of his choosing. He quickly chose internal affairs, and now had a cushy desk job where his only task was to assign and oversee cases for the talented rookies from the academy.

Ranma _respected_ him for the agent he was, and for the agent he still had the potential to be—but that didn't mean he had to like him, and he sure as hell didn't trust him. As far as Ranma was concerned, trust was something you _earned_—and you didn't gain it by sitting safely behind a desk somewhere while other agents risked their lives out in the field.

Of course, if Yamamoto realized any of this, or felt guilty in the least, he didn't show it. When Ranma finally walked into his office, he was leaning back in his chair, his feet on his desk, looking relaxed and content.

Skipping the formalities, Ranma dropped the large folder down on his boss's desk and then took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs across from him. Putting his hands behind his head, he leaned back in the chair, taking pains to look just as relaxed and satisfied as his superior—hell, he figured, if anyone deserved a break, it was _him_. _**He**_ was the one still sporting a fucking _knife_ wound.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow as he regarded his subordinate with mild curiosity—curiosity that bordered on annoyance. "What's that?" he asked, gesturing vaguely towards the folder while not relaxing his position in the slightest.

Ranma grinned. "A closed case," he said simply, trying hard not to sound _too_ proud of himself.

His supervisor's eyes widened slightly. "What? Already?" he asked, his voice doubtful.

"Yup," Ranma replied, stretching leisurely in his chair. "Megumi's safe and the assassin's already been put into custody."

"Has he been questioned yet?"

"Damn right. And he's already started talkin' about the whereabouts of Suzuki."

"Terrific!" Pushing his glasses more firmly onto the bridge of his nose, Yamamoto finally took his legs off the desk as he leaned forward to peruse Ranma's folder. He flipped through it quickly, nodding several times—and then threw it into a bottom drawer of the desk. "I'll finish going over it later," he said before proceeding to withdraw a different, larger folder from another drawer, placing it on the center of the desk before them.

Ranma eyed it dispassionately, waiting for his boss to tell him what it was. Instead, Yamamoto remained silent, and Ranma watched as a small, barely noticeable change, came over his superior. Yamamoto was tapping his fingers lightly on the top of the table, his lips pursed. It was the closest Ranma had ever seen the man to looking unsettled and on edge—and with narrowed eyes, Ranma began to look at the case-folder in a new light.

There were only a few options he could think of that would account for his supervisor's sudden change in behavior. Either this was a very important, dangerous case—or all the others had turned it down, leaving Ranma as his last hope. He guessed it was the latter. But curiosity, as always, won out in the end. "What's that?" he asked at last, tired of waiting for his boss to broach the subject.

Yamamoto leaned back in his chair, trying to look nonchalant and as far from desperate as he could get. Ranma wasn't fooled… his boss was no actor. Swallowing nervously, Yamamoto took pains to look anywhere but the desk, and then began gesturing at the mysterious folder with one of his hands, his voice light. "Just some new case," he explained, a little too quickly. "Yours if you want it."

_Now_ Ranma knew he'd been right. Yamamoto had to be desperate—that, or losing his mind. Only an idiot would accept a case blindly, not knowing the details. And Ranma didn't fancy himself an idiot. "What's involved?" he asked, eying the file distastefully.

"Oh, you know... typical case... a father wants someone to protect his daughter..."

Silently, Ranma scoffed. He didn't believe that for a minute. "A typical case, huh?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "And just **who** does she need protection from?"

"Oh, you know..." he began slowly, trailing off, delaying the inevitable for all he was worth.

Ranma found his patience quickly waning. "No," he deadpanned, "Actually I don't."

Slowly, Yamamoto looked up, and with a long, suffering sigh, said softly: "An Amazon."

Ranma found himself actually laughing. "You've _gotta_ be kidding!" he said at last, once his laughter had died down and he could properly breath again. "Why in the world would I be stupid enough to pit myself up against an Amazon? It's kill, be killed, hide forever, or get hitched... And none a' those options really appeal to me."

Yamamoto shrugged as he began to tap his fingers on the file, his resigned expression changing to one of disdain. "No problem, Saotome. If you don't think you're _qualified_ enough for this case, then I can always find someone who is."

…Ranma froze instantly; a weird buzzing sound filling his head. It suddenly felt like a thousand needles were digging into his side.

…_Not. Qualified…?!_

His brain, sensing his idiotic thoughts, began screaming in warning. but the other voice—the one that controlled his sense of honor and ego—it was screaming _louder. _

Frowning, he sat up straighter. "Don't get me wrong," he replied, laughing lightly, his eyes on his boss. "I never said I _wasn't_ qualified. I just—"

"—no, no, it's all right," his supervisor continued, effectively cutting Ranma off. "I can find someone else, no problem."

…_You're not good enough, _the voice continued, unmerciful. The needles dug in deeper…

"Now, wait just a minute!"

"I'm sorry I took up your time," Yamamoto apologized, standing up from his chair. "With your outstanding record and dedication I just thought you'd be up to the challenge, but I guess I had you pegged wrong, Saotome. Since you don't seem interested…"

"Who says I ain't interested?!" he demanded, slamming his fist on his boss's desk. His internal warning senses were on red-alert, but he ignored them all. "Yamamoto— I *want* this case!"

Yamamoto looked at him with uncertainty. "I'm not so sure—"

"Who's better qualified for this assignment than me?" Ranma continued hastily, his determination and stubbornness driving him on. "I haven't lost a case yet— don't intend to— and my martial art skills surpass everyone else in the academy. Plus," he added, counting the numerous points he was making off with his fingers. "I'm one of the few people in this whole damn place who can transform with just a splash of cold water! Having me is like having two bodyguards in one. It's a package deal!"

"Well that's all well and good..." Mr. Yamamoto replied sincerely, trying to hold back a smile, "but..."

"Dammit!" Ranma shouted, jumping up from his chair. "I'm the best god damn person you've got here! Besides, who else would be brave enough to take on this assignment?"

Yamamoto merely smiled. "I'm sure Ryoga wouldn't mind. I planned to ask him, but he's not here at the moment."

Ranma frowned as he threw himself back down in his chair. "Well yeah, okay," he admitted reluctantly. "Ryoga's definitely 'brave' enough, if that's what you wanna call it, but the idiot's got no sense of direction. Do you honestly think he can handle a tough case like this? Hell, the chances of him wandering away from his client are ten-to-one—there's _no way_ she'd survive his first day! Besides, even if he did try and go up against the Amazon, he'd probably end up back at the chick's village and get himself engaged to the whole tribe! Then you'd be down one more agent, and still have an angry Amazon to deal with."

Yamamoto nodded, but didn't say a word.

Breathing hard, Ranma leaned back in his chair. "So, do I got the assignment or what?"

His boss looked thoughtful for a moment, his eyes locked on the now precious folder. "Well, you've argued your case relatively well," he said slowly, his words trailing off. After several moments of drawn, tense silence, Yamamoto sighed loudly. "Heck, Saotome, if you really want it that badly, it's yours..."

Grinning triumphantly, Ranma leaned forward in his chair. "Yeah," he said with a shrug. "I'll take it, I guess..."

Pushing the folder towards Ranma with both hands, Yamamoto watched in satisfaction as his subordinate readily took it. "Well, good luck," he added sincerely; thinking silently, _you're going to need it._

Ranma stood up quickly. "Heh, I depend on skill, not luck—but thanks anyway." With that, Ranma left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Once Ranma was gone, Yamamoto leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile lighting his face. "That was a lot easier than I thought it was gonna be," he laughed. "I always knew that boy's ego would get him into trouble someday. Geez, going against an Amazon… I sure hope that kid knows what he's getting into."

Turning back to the huge filing cabinet that sat behind him, Yamamoto pulled out a huge stack of folders and dropped them heavily on his desk. There were so many more cases to assign, and fewer and fewer rookies actually willing to do them...

* * *

  
Ranma sat cross-legged on his bunk, the huge folder spread open before him. "Now," he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "To see what I've got."

Inside were pictures. Lots of pictures.

On top of the stack was one large photograph of a 16-year-old girl with long, flowing blue-black hair. The girl was smiling brightly, her hand shading her eyes from the blazing sun above. Attached to the photo was a small note with the girl's name—_Akane Tendo_. Ranma observed the photo for several long moments, his gaze lingering on her happy, smiling face. "Geez," he breathed at last. "She's really cute." She looked so... well, *nice.* Not the type that went around challenging Amazons, that was for sure. And she was so _young_—only a year younger than himself, and she already had some crazy person after her head. He couldn't help but wonder what she did to piss this Amazon-woman off…

Placing the photo off to the side, he saw several smaller pictures of Akane directly beneath. In one of the photographs she was in a school uniform, walking down a street with a couple of her friends, laughing. In another, she was in a martial arts dogi, breaking cider blocks with her bare fist.

Ranma raised an eyebrow.

Okay, on second thought... maybe she _was_ the type that went around challenging Amazons...

Underneath those pictures were photographs of her family: Her father, Soun Tendo, and her two older sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki. He couldn't help but wonder if they studies martial arts too. Beneath those were pictures of miscellaneous friends—kids they hung around with at school or casual acquaintances. There was also a picture of their family doctor, Ono Tofu.

Ranma pushed all of them aside, anxious to see exactly *who* he was protecting her from. There, in the very back of the pile, was a small snapshot of a purple haired Amazon. The girl was wielding two banborrie weapons through the air, her expression grim and determined, eyes focused on an unseen target. Moving that picture aside, Ranma began to search for another—and finding none, he frowned. It must have been the only picture the researchers could find.

"Just great," he muttered, thoroughly annoyed. "As if I don't got enough crap in this case piled against me already—all they give me is one crappy photo they probably took while pissing behind a bush. If that girl cuts her hair or starts wearing contacts, I'm screwed."

Turning the photo over, he gave a small sigh of relief as he spotted two Chinese characters in the right hand corner. "Well, at least they managed to give me her name," he thought, surprised that they'd at least managed _that_ much. He wasn't exactly fluent in the language, but he knew enough to recognize certain characters when he saw them. It looked like her name was Xian Pu—though some half-wit had scrawled the English pronunciation—Shampoo—beneath it.

Ranma picked up the large photo of the smiling Akane and placed it next to the one of the Amazon warrior. He had a name, a picture, and nothing else to go on...

In the very least, this case was sure to be a challenging one.

Luckily, Ranma _**thrived**_ on challenges.

* * *

Soun Tendo continued to pace nervously back and forth, a small beat-up postcard held tightly in his hands. His three daughters were seated before him, warring expressions on their pretty faces as they watched him tear excitedly through the room. One looked calm, patient and understanding… another, mildly curious and thoughtful… but the last looked impatient, angry, and very, *very* annoyed.

Tears streamed down Soun Tendo's face as he reread the short, concise message written neatly on the back of the card.

_Congratulations, your request has been approved. Expect our best agent, __Ranma Saotome__, to arrive at your residence shortly. _

It was signed, _The Hanahora Protection Agency: (Free of charge if victim harmed)._

A koi fish leapt through the air from the large pond, oblivious to Soun's tears as it landed with a small splash back into the awaiting water below. "Finally," Soun cried happily, holding the card out before him like a beacon. "Finally, I can rest in peace. Soon, very soon, Ranma Saotome will come… and my little girl will be safe at last."

"Hey, let me see that," a voice interrupted, grabbing the postcard from his hands before he had time to protest.

"Nabiki," Soun whimpered, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Why do you have to be that way to your own father, huh?!"

Nabiki ignored him as she skimmed through the card; eyes narrowed in concentration. "Jeez, daddy," she said at last, handing it back to him with a shake of her head. "I can't *believe* you actually went out and hired some bodyguard. Do you have any idea what this will do to business?"

Soun Tendo frowned, his arms crossed stubbornly against his chest. "Well, I—"

"Imagine," Nabiki went on, disregarding her father's feeble protests. "The owner of the Tendo dojo—_master_ of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts—_forced_ to hire a professional bodyguard to protect his own family. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, daddy, but isn't that the whole reason people take up martial arts in the first place?"

"Nabiki," Kasumi gently chided, "I'm sure father knows exactly what he's doing, don't you father?"

Soun Tendo coughed uncomfortably and then turned a grateful smile on his eldest daughter. "Of, of course I do," he replied, a little too loudly, his eyebrow twitching. "Thank you for your support, Kasumi. It's good to know that *one* of my daughters trust my judgment."

Nabiki waved her hand in dismissal. "It's not that I don't _trust_ you, daddy," she corrected. "It's just that… in a _business_ sense, this isn't practical. The majority of your clientele are learning the Anything-Goes style in order to protect their families—they aren't going to pay money to learn it from someone who can't even protect his own daughter. Besides, don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? Akane's a big girl—she can take care of herself."

"That's right," Akane spoke up, voicing her opinion for the hundredth time. "I do not need a bodyguard, dad!"

Avoiding the critical eyes of his two daughters, Soun Tendo stared down at the postcard briefly, silently summoning his courage. The small action must have given him some sort of strength, because when he finally looked up, his expression was firm. "What's done is done, Akane," he told her, holding a hand up to silence her protests. "I realize you're strong and skilled in your own right, but I'm not taking any chances—that girl is relentless. All it takes is one lucky shot and you're done. As for you," he continued, turning his attention to Nabiki. "Akane's life is at stake here—_not_ the dojo—and I will not risk her life in order to ensure more clients. Is that understood?"

Crossing her arms against her chest, Nabiki silently nodded.

"Good," Soun continued, nodding sagely. "Now then, this doesn't mean we need to give up hope! Perhaps the guide was wrong and this Shampoo-woman has already given up—then we won't need this Ranma Saotome's services after all."

"Yeah, after the damage has already been done," Nabiki muttered under her breath.

Soun pretended not to hear her. Feeling reassured, he glanced up at the bright blue sky, allowing the peace and tranquility of the view to flow through him; for a moment, he felt like he could breathe properly once more. He wasn't the type of man who would allow his arrogance or pride to stand in the way of his own daughters safety—when faced with the truth of his own skills, he knew there was a possibility—slight as it were—that it might not be enough.

Once again he found his eyes returning to the beat up postcard, his grip on the card involuntarily tightening. Soon, very soon, Ranma Saotome would be here. Soon, his little girl would be safe.

He'd make sure of it.

* * *

Ranma stood just outside the Tendo gate, his travel bag slung over his shoulder, surveying the house before him with a critical eye.

He was happy to see it was fairly large, with two stories and a broad, walkable roof. The size would make it loads easier for someone to sneak in—but it also made it easier for someone to sneak _out_. And getting out Ranma had learned, was the _crucial_ part. Even in a one room shack with no doors and no windows, the truly determined could find a way in. Getting out _after_ they'd gotten in then, could be the difference between life and death. And Amazons, he recalled, were definitely not short on determination—they had a tendency to make their _own_ doors.

As for the dojo, the martial artist in him couldn't wait to get a look inside. From the photographs he'd seen, he knew it was connected off the main house by a covered walkway, though the building itself had looked a bit worn-down. Only the sign outside the gate assured him that it was still in use. It read: _To_ _challenge owner in savage combat use rear door_.

"Well, this is it," he said, cracking his knuckles while pumping himself up, "it's show time." Adjusting his pack, Ranma smirked with confidence as he prepared to enter the place that would be his home for the duration of his assignment.

But before he'd even taken a step, he froze…

Something soft and warm was rubbing against the back of his legs, and distantly, some part of him was *sure_*_ he heard it start to purr. But it couldn't be what he thought it was—no chance, no way. It was probably just the wind, or maybe some dog—a very small, furry dog, that thought it was a ca—cat.

Heart racing, Ranma stood stock-still, afraid to move lest he upset or startle the little thing… maybe, he reasoned, if he just closed his eyes, it would go away.

So thinking, Ranma closed his eyes.

And then, to his horror... it _**meowed**_.

All sense and reason immediately left Ranma's brain at that moment. Eyes still closed—much more tightly now—his entire body froze, though his fingers began twitching nervously at his side as speech failed him. He could hear it perfectly—softly purring as it began to wrap its small body around his feet. And he could feel its soft fur rubbing against his black pants and the brush of whiskers resting against his leg.

Nope—no dog. Definitely not a dog.

Almost against his will, Ranma opened one eye and glanced down. The kitten was looking at him innocently, its eyes wide—then, with a small jump, it placed its two front paws on Ranma's pant legs as it tried playfully to climb up his leg, meowing all the way.

Small pin-pricks in the form of the kitten's claws broke through his thin dark pants, pinching him ever so lightly—and Ranma felt the initial terror he'd tried to stifle from the start, rise, until he could contain it no longer.

It wasn't very manly to scream.

But Ranma screamed.

* * *

"AAAHHH!!!!!"

Three heads shot up in unison as the Tendo sister's eyes widened in surprise. Soun Tendo immediately stopped pacing as he turned around to meet his daughters' shocked, concerned faces. "Did you hear that?" he asked them, all traces of his excitement and exuberance gone.

"Yeah," Akane replied, looking worried. "It sounded like someone screaming."

"Close by too," Nabiki added.

Kasumi bit her lip as she frowned."Oh, I certainly hope no one's hurt," she said.

Soun nodded in agreement before turning to regard his youngest daughter, his eyes narrowed and alert. "Nevertheless, it may be a trick by that Amazon, Akane," he warned.

Akane, remembering similar tricks by the crazy Amazon, nodded. She didn't need reminding—she had planned to watch her back regardless. Standing, she began to follow her father outside, her sisters trailing close behind.

* * *

Ranma was running blindly now, no longer aware of his surroundings. Up ahead, he could _just_ make out the shape of a roof towering before him.

Gathering all of up his strength, he jumped.

* * *

The Tendos searched their yard, looking for any signs of trouble… but all they found was their neighbor's cat, Yeichi, whimpering in front of the door. Hearing something strange, they looked up and noticed something else—a person crouching on the roof up above.

"Help me," the person whispered softly as the black and white kitten continued to whine beneath him.

"What's his problem?" Akane whispered to Nabiki.

Her sister shrugged. "Beats me."

Soun shaded his eyes from the darkness, trying to put the quivering figure on the roof before him into focus. "And who are you, stranger?" he demanded.

Kasumi walked up behind him and lovingly scooped up the small kitten in her arms. "Oh my," she gasped, following her father's gaze. "Who in the world is that?"

"We don't know," Akane replied, glancing once more at the shaking figure on the roof. "All he's said so far is, _Help me_."

Upset at suddenly being restrained, the cat in Kasumi's arms began to hiss and claw as it struggled to get out of her grip—giving a small cry of surprise, Kasumi reluctantly released the small kitten and watched as it scurried away.

Ranma, hearing the commotion, finally glanced over the side of the roof. "Is— is it gone?" he asked, his voice slightly shaking.

"Is what gone?" Akane asked.

"The ca—cat," he managed, with difficulty.

Nabiki glanced in the direction the cat had run of in, and then turned her gaze back on Ranma. Her eyebrow was raised, and even she couldn't keep the skepticism out of her voice. "You mean to tell me that you're afraid of *Yeichi*?"

"Yeichi?" Akane asked, trying her best to stifle back a laugh. "You mean… he's afraid of the neighbor's *cat*?!"

"Damn it," Ranma interrupted angrily. "Is the little fanged beast gone or not?!"

"Oh yes," Kasumi assured him. "Yeichi's probably on his way back to the Tomodachi's right now." Ranma sighed in relief, as his trembling body slowly began to calm. "It's a pity too," she added sadly, oblivious to Ranma's relief. "It's such a cute little kitten after all."

"Uh, yeah. Sure it is," he muttered under his breath.

Soun coughed uncomfortably, shattering the uneasy silence. "Now, young man, would you mind getting down from there? If you'd like to challenge me, you're supposed to use the _rear_ door."

Ranma did several quick flips in the air before landing neatly in front of Soun's startled form. "Um... I ain't exactly here to challenge ya," he began nervously. "I'm, uh... Ranma Saotome."

Soun's eyes widened in surprise... and disbelief, shock, denial, horror... "Ranma? R— Ranma Saotome?!" His name, strangely enough, wasn't a comfort.

The boy who only moments ago had been cowering on his roof, nodded his head sullenly. "Um… yeah. Sorry 'bout this…"

His apology fell on deft ears.

With a small, gasping sob, Soun hit the ground.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Okay, there you have it—my revision for chapter 1. I tried rereading this story a while ago, and it _seriously_ made me wince. I am so embarrassed. Hopefully it's a little more readable now. Next, I'll probably try to tackle Chapter 1 of _The Game_, which is pretty much in the same condition (but don't worry: I _am_ still working on the latest chapters of all my stories). Wish me luck! ^_^

_(ORIGINAL: 11 pages, _4015 words_. REVISION: 14 pages, _5968 words_)_

~Angela


	2. Battle in the Tendo Dojo

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By Angela Jewell

An Alternate Reality Fanfic:  
Same beloved characters, but whole new twists...

Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi—there are lots of other names that are supposed to go here as well, but sadly, they all escape me. And more importantly, none of them are mine.

**

* * *

Chapter 2**  
Battle in the Tendo Dojo!  


* * *

Soun Tendo slowly, reluctantly, opened his eyes—only to be rewarded with a splitting headache for his trouble. He knew instinctively that his headache was not merely a result of the small bump on his head he had received from when he had collapsed—although he wished it were...

No. The reason was *much* more horrifying than that.

Ranma Saotome was here.

Ranma—the man who was in charge of his youngest daughter's safety—the man he had found cowering on his roof in fear of a small *kitten*.

Soun closed his eyes tightly, willing himself to wake up. He couldn't claim to be an expert on matters of dream analysis or superstition—although he did know a thing or two about omens—but he was certain that this all had to be a terrible, terrible nightmare.

Lying stock-still for several minutes, Soun continued to block out every sound, noise, and thought that entered his mind. He tried to concentrate on nothing: to keep his mind absolutely clear—willing the evilness away.

After several minutes had passed, he reluctantly opened one eye, the other clenched tightly shut, unready and unwilling, to discovering what he already knew to be true.

What he saw was the same old ceiling he had been staring at only moments before.

"It wasn't a dream," he whimpered to himself. And if it's not a dream, it could only mean one thing...

Oh Akane, he thought to himself sullenly, the tears quickly returning to his eyes. My little baby girl is doomed.

The sound of arguing cut through his regret and self-pity, reminding him of the situation at hand. Soun Tendo sat up in his makeshift bed and craned his neck around, looking ashamedly at his daughters and his new guest. No matter what the circumstances, it wasn't right for the head of the Tendo family clan to pass out when there was such pressing business to attend to. After all, his daughters' safety always came first.

"Oh, father, you're finally awake!" Kasumi exclaimed happily, emerging from the open door that led to the kitchen.

"Yes, well..." Soun coughed uncomfortably. Perhaps he *had* overreacted just a little…

"So good of you to join us, daddy," Nabiki replied dryly. "We were really starting to worry there for a minute."

Soun slowly got to his feet and walked towards the open door, glancing hesitantly at Ranma who was sitting across from Akane, looking dejected and embarrassed.

"So," Soun began slowly, masking his uncertainty behind a forced smile, "you're the Ranma Saotome that was sent to us from the agency..."

Ranma hung his head in shame. "Yup. That's me," he replied sullenly.

Soun nodded his head and then asked in a condescending voice, "Would you like to tell me what you were doing on my roof?"

Ranma gulped nervously, his head lowered. "Um... it's kind of a long story," he began in embarrassment.

Nabiki crossed her arms and smiled. "Lucky us," she said. "We just happen to have a lot of time on our hands."

Ranma sighed in defeat as he began to explain all about Cat-Fu, the pit full of hungry cats, and consequently his ailurophobia. When he was done he was surprised to see the warring expressions on the Tendo's faces. Kasumi, the eldest sister, had a sympathetic look, which was accentuated by a slight frown on her normally happy and smiling visage. Nabiki looked cool and calm, her expression unreadable, while Soun looked drawn and annoyed.

Akane looked at him in astonishment. "You mean... your own *father* did that?!" She shook her head in disbelief. "I refuse to believe someone could be that terrible."

Ranma laughed bitterly. "You didn't know my father, Akane."

Soun cleared his throat as he put his hand on Ranma's shoulder comfortingly. "What horrible experiences you've been forced to endure," he sniffled. "But don't you worry, son. We're here for you now."

Kasumi nodded her head sympathetically.

"Uh, yeah..." Ranma said slowly, his hand slipping unconsciously behind his head. He hadn't been called 'son' in a while; ever since his father sold him to the agency.

Akane's eyes widened slightly, her mouth open in surprise. "Wait a minute," she said, standing up, her eyes narrowed. "How did you know my name? We haven't even introduced ourselves yet!"

"Akane, really," Nabiki drawled as she placed her hand on her hip. "Do you really think his agency would have let him come here without knowing just "who" he's protecting? I'm sure they gave them all kinds of interesting information about our family. Right, Saotome?" she smiled.

"Well, I know enough," he replied guardedly.

"Yes, yes," Soun interrupted, moving next to Ranma, "I'm sure you know everything you need to. Now, to the matter at hand, how do you plan on protecting my daughter?"

Ranma flexed his hands. Now THIS was something he knew how to do. "Well, first I thought I'd start by checking out the layout of the house—including places where someone could possibly hide, and then I'd—"

Akane rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous," she interrupted, crossing her arms stubbornly across her chest. "I don't *need* him to protect me! What's she going to do, anyway? Follow me all the way to Japan?!"

Soun Tendo regarded his daughter with frustration. He could practically feel his black hair turning gray. "Daughter," he began tiredly, his hands going to his forehead in exasperation. "As the heir to the Tendo School Of Anything Goes Martial Arts, it is your *duty* to carry on our dojo, and to do that, I can't have you getting killed!!!"

"Father's right, Akane," Kasumi spoke up softly. "It's dangerous to underestimate her. Just because you beat her in China--"

"Whoa. Ya mean she really *did* beat an Amazon?" Ranma interrupted, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What does THAT mean?!" Akane demanded.

"Nothin'," he shrugged. "I mean, I've never seen you fight, so..."

"You're right you *haven't* seen me fight!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I know you like to break bricks!" he replied defensively.

"How nice, Akane!" Kasumi said sweetly. "He knows all about your block breaking hobby!"

Akane narrowed her eyes angrily at Ranma. "Just how much about me do you know?" she demanded.

Ranma grinned. "Well, I *am* your protector, so it's only natural that I know everything about my client."

"Your *client*?" she asked incredulously.

Ranma nodded his head. "Yup. My client."

"Well then," Akane smiled sweetly. "I guess that makes me your *employer* then, doesn't it?"

Ranma's smile faltered. "Well, actually--"

"So in other words, you have to do what I say, right?" she asked, ignoring his feeble protests.

Nabiki slowly grinned. "It sure sounds like the intricate workings of a client— employer relationship to me," she added slyly.

"Hey! Now wait a minute!" Ranma began irritably. "There ain't no *way* I'm taking orders from her! Hell no!"

Akane's expression became tight and thin, and her brown eyes began to blaze as she advanced menacingly towards him. "And why exactly not?"

Ranma gulped nervously as she continued to advance angrily towards him. "Ca—cause," he said, taking a small step backwards, unsure how to handle an angry woman. "Cause, you're a… a girl."

Akane stopped abruptly, her blue battle aura swarming around her. "All right!" she yelled loudly, her fingers twitching sporadically at her side. "That's it, Ranma! We spar!"

"Uh oh." Kasumi gasped as she put a dainty hand to her mouth. Soun simply shook his head.

"Ranma," he said sadly, "you have a lot to learn about women."

* * *

Ranma stood before Akane in the family's dojo, relaxed and waiting as she finished tightening the belt of her white dogi. "Well, are you ready?" she asked excitedly, moving into the standard position. "I'm not going to go easy on you, you know!"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders, his expression neutral and bored. "Why do you want to fight me again?" he asked in confusion. "I mean, I know I musta said _something_ that really made you mad an stuff …"

Akane's eyes widened, and she looked at him with a mixture of surprise and irritation. "You mean… you don't even know what you did?!" she asked in disbelief. "You are SUCH a _jerk_!"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "So."

Akane's eyes twitched, and she found her fists curling reflexively at her sides. "Well are we going to fight or not?" she demanded impatiently.

Ranma put a hand behind his head sheepishly and grinned. "I don't know," he answered. "I feel kinda weird fighting you like this…"

"Why?" Akane asked in confusion, her gaze lightening as she stared at him thoughtfully. "Oh, wait! I see!" she replied, smiling shyly. "You're *afraid* to fight me, aren't you?"

Ranma's whole body stiffened, and his relaxed stance turned to one of shocked disgust. "Are you NUTS?" he yelled. "Me? Afraid of YOU? You have GOTTA be kidding!"

Akane recoiled as if she'd been slapped, her anger quickly returning. "And just what do you mean by that?" she demanded.

"I mean," Ranma answered scornfully, "that if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get!"

"Then let's go," she replied.

Without a moment's hesitation Akane launched herself at her opponent, her hands moving in a flurry of motion, her feet keeping rhythm with her steps.

Ranma evaded her attacks easily, his body barely moving as he stepped easily around the room. Akane slowed down slightly to survey her opponent, looking for a weakness. There had to be something—some slack in his defense that she could break through. Launching another set of punches at his chest, Akane sped up her attack, her fists flying through the air. "Why aren't you fighting back?" she yelled, throwing another angry punch at his head that he once again, dodged. Akane launched a kick at his chest instead.

Ranma, not slowing down at all, smiled as he jumped effortlessly over her outstretched leg. "Cause I don't hit girls," he replied smugly, "Even uncute tomboy's like you."

"What did you just call me?" Akane asked in disbelief, her face reddening. "You better not have said what I think you just said!" she added.

Ranma laughed, his blue eyes shining. "Well, guess I'd better not repeat it then, huh?"

"That's it," Akane fumed. "Now I'm going to fight you for real!"

Ranma lifted an eyebrow. "Ya mean you haven't been?"

Akane screamed as she sent a flying spin kick at Ranma's chest, only to feel her leg meet empty air, her body straining with the effort alone. She couldn't remember a time she'd been this tired during a match before! Groaning, Akane turned around quickly to see Ranma standing patiently behind her, his breathing steady, not a hair out of place. Akane, frustrated and angry, advanced towards him, throwing an onslaught of empty punches in the air, hoping one of them would hit him. None of them did…

"Stand still!" she screamed in annoyance, her body moving faster than she remembered it being capable of. Ranma seemed to dance around the room, his feet barely moving as he leapt and dodged her attacks. Akane slowed down her barrage of punches, realizing none of them were having much effect. No matter what she did, Ranma dodged them easily: A tilt of his head, a feign to the left…

Akane found herself growing more and more frustrated as time went by. 'Is he reading my moves?' she thought desperately.

Ranma continued to move around the room effortlessly, his breathing even and controlled while Akane found herself panting with exhaustion and frustration, her body slowly tiring.

I have to end this soon, she thought. 'Alright, here goes.' With a yell Akane gathered up all of her remaining strength and ran at Ranma with all she had, determination and stubbornness pushing her on.

"This is it!" she whispered, forcing him up against the walls of the dojo. "Kyaa!"

Akane released all of her strength as she drove one last powerful punch towards Ranma's open defenses…

…only to have her hand go through the dojo's wall instead.

Akane stopped in surprise, staring at the hole her fist had made. Ranma was no longer there! Suddenly she sensed movement behind her, and turning around, tried to get out of the way as quickly as possible. Once she'd taken a step, however, she felt her legs swept out from under her, and fell to the floor, her heart pounding.

"Give up yet?" Ranma asked, staring down at her.

Akane stared in surprise at Ranma's grinning face. How had he done it? She wondered. She hadn't even been able to _touch_ him! Ranma continued grinning as he offered his hand to help her up.

"How can this be?" she wondered aloud, ignoring him as she looked down in confusion at the dojo's floor.

"Well," Ranma explained, leaning over her. "You're WAY too slow, your timings off, you're much too predictable, and you allow your anger to control your movements. I mean, sure, anger can be good in some cases, but—"

"Shut up!" Akane yelled, pushing him hand away from her. "So I need a _little_ work. Big deal! I haven't been training for 10 years either, you know!"

"Jeez," he complained. "I was just tryin' to help. No need ta bite my head off or nothin'."

Akane laughed bitterly. "Ha! *Help* he says!"

"Anyway," said Ranma, "There was something I wanted to ask you…"

Akane looked at him expectantly. "Well, What is it?"

Ranma raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You mean to tell me that *you*," he asked, his voice dripping sarcasm, "beat an Amazon warrior?"

Akane narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that I *couldn't*?"

Ranma smiled. "Well, unless she was blind or crippled, yes."

Akane angrily jumped up from where she'd been sitting. "Crippled, huh?" she asked through clenched teeth. "I'll show you crippled!"

"Heh," Ranma laughed. "Kinda hard when you can't even *touch* me, don't cha think?"

Akane screamed in anger as she threw a punch towards his head, which, to her irritation, he easily sidestepped once again.

"RANMA YOU JERK!"

Soun and Nabiki stood just outside the door of the dojo, watching the two with silent, observant eyes. "A formidable opponent indeed," Soun nodded approvingly, his eyes for once serious and focused.

Nabiki nodded her head in agreement, for once, impressed. "Well," she sighed, resigned. "I guess it can't hurt business to have him stay a _little_ while. After all, he IS a really good martial artist… and it doesn't hurt that he's good looking either. I'll just have to think of some way to keep the fact that he's hired help a secret."

Soun glanced over to his older daughter, his forehead creased in worry. "And how do you suppose we do that, Nabiki?" he asked, slightly curious.

Nabiki smiled slyly. "I think I have an idea or two. Just leave everything to me."

"Alright." Soun agreed, confident in his daughter's abilities. There were some things Nabiki seemed to have a knack for, which he himself was sorely lacking. Turning his gaze to his youngest daughter, Soun watched in amusement as she chased Ranma around the dojo with a wooden mallet, her hair torn free from its ribbon, once again flowing freely behind her.

"Daddy," said Nabiki. "Shouldn't we have a little talk with Ranma and Akane and lay down some ground work? If he's going to be living here for a while, he's going to have to know the rules. And I'm sure there are some things he's going to need our cooperation with."

"Yes, yes. You're exactly right Nabiki," Soun nodded. "We'll have a family meeting right away. You go inform Ranma and Akane and I'll go get Kasumi. We'll meet in the family room in an hour. That ought to give them enough time to get cleaned up after their sparring match. And it'll give me just enough time to get some food before we embark on such an important family mission!"

Rolling her eyes, Nabiki watched her dad disappear into the house, her arms crossed casually over her chest as she continued to watch her younger sister chase Ranma around the dojo. It was fairly obvious to someone not even familiar with the art that Ranma had been holding back in his earlier fight with Akane. If Shampoo _did_ find her way to Japan, Nabiki was sure it would be an interesting fight at best. Finally with a sigh, curious to hear Ranma's ideas and suggest some of her own, Nabiki walked towards the center of the dojo to deliver the latest message.

* * *

Ranma walked towards the Tendo's bathroom, a pile of towels carried loosely in his hands, his pack slung carelessly over his shoulder. Although he had been reluctant at first to take a bath after his spar with Akane, the idea of a nice hot soak was starting to sound tempting. Although he hadn't even broken a sweat during his fight, at the agency they had always used mixed bathing, so the very concept of privacy alone wasn't one that was generally granted to the agents employed there.

Opening up the door, Ranma slipped inside and threw his bag on the floor with the towels on top of them. Quickly undressing, he pushed aside the screen and headed into the main part of the bath. Sitting on the stool, Ranma quickly filled the bucket of cold water to the very top, and shuddering, dumped the contents over himself, shivering from the sheer coldness of the water.

He could feel the transformation flowing throughout his body as soon as the cold water touched it and shivered again as the weird sensation of changing overwhelmed him. He hated this feeling: shrinking in some parts—growing in others. His entire body seemed to prickle, like millions and millions of pins and needles stabbing him at once. And when Ranma placed the bucket back on the floor, he was smaller in stature, his hair was now red, and he was no longer male. The shock of the familiar change however was cut short as Ranma turned in surprise at the sound of a door being slid open before her.

Ranma watched in silence, her heart racing. There, in the center of the door stood Akane, naked, a small towel held before her, covering her vital areas.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ranma yelled, hiding behind the stool, temporarily forgetting she was female. _What is she? Some kind of pervert?_ she though, a new suspicion gripping him. _I bet she was hoping to come in here and see me naked!_

Akane stared in surprise, looking at the stranger sitting in her bathroom with wide, confused eyes. "I'm so sorry." she stammered, embarrassed. "I didn't know someone else was in here. All I saw were the towels and I just assumed Kasumi put them there for my bath. Are you one of Kasumi or Nabiki's friends?"

Ranma continued to watch Akane safely from behind the stool, not saying anything—not sure *what* to say. Akane observed the stranger's weird behavior and slowly began to back out of the room. "Um… anyway," she laughed uncomfortably, "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm *REALLY* sorry! I'll just let you get back to your bath now." Akane turned around to leave, but before going, added over her shoulder, "And don't worry, I'll warn Ranma someone else is in here… it wouldn't do to have a guy walk in on you, now, would it?" Akane smiled brightly as she quickly shut the door.

Ranma stared in surprise at the place Akane had been standing only moments before: Too shocked to move. "Aw, man." she complained, "what am I gonna do now?!"

Sighing, Ranma stood up and walked towards the changing room once again, glancing at the hot furo with longing. "Well, guess I better go out like this," she said aloud, putting on her familiar red Chinese shirt and black pants. "Here goes." Ranma grabbed her bag off the floor and left the towels lying on the ground, her wet red hair dripping. And with that, stepped out of the bathroom.


	3. Enter: Ranko?

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By Angela Jewell

_An Alternate Reality Fanfic: Same beloved characters, but whole new twists_

Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi—there are lots of other names that are supposed to go here as well, but sadly, they all escape me. And more importantly, none of them are mine.

**

* * *

Chapter 3**  
Enter: Ranko?

* * *

Ranma stood before the Tendos, her hair slightly dripping and her clothes, too large for her now feminine torso, sagging loosely around her body.

"So, stranger," Soun coughed, clearing his throat with authority. "Mind telling us how you ended up in our bathroom?"

Ranma could feel her face turning red, her wet hair obscuring her vision. "I hope I didn't surprise ya too much earlier," she began nervously, pulling the tie on her pants tighter with one hand while pushing the hair out of her eyes with the other. "I'm Ranma's partner, uh, Ranko."

"What a nice name," Kasumi smiled pleasantly.

"Heh, thanks!" Ranma smirked, pleased.

Akane looked at Ranko suspiciously for a moment, and then turned to her father, scowling. "Really, dad!" she sighed, "One bodyguard is bad enough, but do you _really_ have to insult me with _two_?!"

Soun frowned, pulling uncomfortably at the collar of his dull brown dogi. "Partner?" he asked, ignoring Akane's question as he turned to the girl before him. "Is there some _reason_ Ranma might need your help?"

"Yeah," Nabiki intoned. "I thought your agency '_sent us the best_'."

Ranma's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. "Oh, they did!" she assured them, a bit too vehemently. "I mean, Ranma's _very_ dependable! He's the best!" She laughed nervously. "But sometimes he has business to handle back at the office—you know, boring paper-work an all that—so they, uh, send me here to fill in for him." She paused, scratching her head; it felt like she was rambling. "I'm more of a backup than a partner really… and ya don't gotta worry either. I match Ranma perfectly in skill, _and_ I have the same amount of experience."

"How nice," Kasumi said. "Isn't that good news father?"

Soun nodded his head. "Very good news, Kasumi."

"Where _is_ Ranma anyway?" asked Akane, looking around the room. "I haven't seen him since our spar in the dojo."

Ranma cringed, unsure what to say. "Well," she began uneasily, looking around the room for inspiration. "Like I said, the boss sent me over to cover for him—but just for a minute. They, uh, needed him back at the agency. He still had some last minute paperwork to take care of from his last case. I just let myself in since no one was answering the door."

"That's strange," Kasumi interrupted thoughtfully. "Usually I can hear when someone's at the gate."

"Yeah, well…" Ranma continued uneasily, frowning. "no one answered it, and since nobody was around, I just let myself in. Anyways, I ran into Ranma on his way to the bath and let him know 'bout the boss's orders. But, don't worry! I promised him I'd watch after Akane while he's gone, so everything's fine. He should be back soon."

"Alright, then," Nabiki drawled, looking at the girl before her suspiciously. "Now that we know who you are, mind telling us how you ended up in our bathroom? I, for one, didn't sense any danger there."

Ranma laughed nervously. "Well, uh, danger lurks everywhere," she replied, smirking.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, not amused.

Geez, what is with her? he thought, dejectedly.

"Anyway," she continued, trying her hardest not to look at the middle Tendo sister. "On my way over here a *big* truck splashed me with muddy water."

"Aren't you a martial artist?" Nabiki interrupted, frowning. "Couldn't you just _dodge_ it?"

Ranma glared at her. This girl was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Nabiki!" Akane admonished, glaring. "Don't be rude. She's our guest!"

Ranma smiled in gratitude and Nabiki shrugged lazily.

"Go on, Ranko," Akane said, smiling at her.

"Err, anyway," she continued, less confident than before. "I didn't want to be all dirty when I introduced myself, so, I just figured I'd clean up a little beforehand. I'm sorry if I startled ya," she added, glancing quickly at Akane. "I didn't think anyone would come in. I mean, I *thought* Ranma was on his way to the bath, so the fact that a girl walked in kinda startled me..."

"Oh my." Kasumi started guiltily. "I completely forgot to warn Akane about the bath."

"Thanks a lot Kasumi," Akane replied, giving her sister a dirty look. "Mind giving me a little warning next time?!"

Kasumi had the good grace to look embarrassed.

Nabiki, however, looked anything but. She shook her head sadly as she observed her younger sister with a frown.

"Gee Akane," she chided. "What are you so worked up about? You almost got to walk in on Ranma in the bath. You _should_ be happy."

Akane glowered at her sister. "Oh, really?" she asked. "And why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?"

"Don't worry Akane," Kasumi interrupted. "You'll have plenty of time in the future. But are you sure you really want too? You are still young after all…"

"What in the WORLD are you talking about?" Ranma and Akane yelled in unison.

Akane looked at Ranma in surprise. Then her confused expression softened as she slowly began to smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ranko," she said, blushing furiously. "They were just teasing you know, they didn't mean anything by it. Besides, we didn't even know! I mean, we just met today so he hasn't had a chance to mention you yet…"

Ranko looked at her strangely.

"Huh?"

Akane gave her a weird look, and then cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well, you are, aren't you?" she asked.

"Are *what*?"

"A couple, stupid."

Ranko had to fight the urge to laugh.

"Oh! Heh. Well yeah, now that you mention it, me and Ranma are inseparable. I'm surprised ya noticed."

"Well, it _was_ kind of hard not too." she smiled.

Ranma stepped up to Akane and placed her hands on her shoulders determinedly. "So I can trust you then, right?!" she asked, staring intently into Akane's eyes, her voice desperate and hopeful. "You won't try to steal Ranma for yourself?! I mean, I can't be here all the time, and I can't stand the thought of Ranma fooling around on me."

"No trouble there," Akane assured her, "I don't even like boys."

Ranma quickly removed her hands from Akane's shoulders, giving her an awkward smile as she slowly backed away. "Uh, don't like guys, huh? Um… hey, whatever. To each their own, an all that. Just remember, I'm taken!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Akane yelled angrily, ignoring Nabiki's laughter and her father's uncontrollable weeping. "I don't like girls like that you idiot!"

"You don't? But ya said you don't like guys…"

Akane's body tensed as she stood up, her brown eyes blazing.

"I didn't mean it like that!" she yelled defensively. "I said I don't like *boys*! BOYS! I never said I don't like *men*! Besides," she said softly, turning around to face the koi pond. "I already have someone I like."

"That's wonderful, Akane," Kasumi smiled, leaning over her sister's shoulder. "What's her name?"

"It's a *HE* OKAY?!"

"Sure thing," Ranma said, patting her on the shoulder. "But that still don't explain why ya said ya hate guys. I mean, I know they can be idiots sometimes, but what'd they ever do to you? Steal your lunch money or somethin'?"

"Nothing," Akane insisted. "Just something at school. Nothing, I can't handle," she added quickly.

"School, huh?" Ranma asked, her voice thoughtful. "Damn. I'm gonna have to go with ya to school tomorrow. Shampoo could try an attack ya there."

"You? But what about Ranma?"

"Ranma?" she questioned, her eyes wide with confusion. "What do you—I, I mean," she stammered, her face turning a dark shade of red. "That's what I meant! It's just that me and Ranma are so close, and so alike, that sometimes it's like we're almost the same person…"

Akane looked at her strangely.

"Uh, anyway," Ranma replied, standing up quickly, "I'd better get goin', Ranma should be back any minute, and I got another agent I gotta cover. It was nice meeting you all! Sorry about that whole incident with the bath. I promise it won't happen again."

"Nonsense," Soun laughed, clapping Ranma on the back, "No harm done. If you're a friend of Ranma's, you're a friend of ours."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, smiling. "Besides, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you I would have walked in on Ranma in the bath. Now THAT would have been a disaster!" she laughed good-naturedly.

"Heh, really, don't mention it." Ranma relied, blushing at the memory. "Anyways, like I said, I'd better get going. Ranma should be here any minute, so I'll be seeing ya!"

"Goodbye," said Kasumi, waving pleasantly. "See you next time!" "Heh, sure thing," Ranko said as she hastily exited the room, anxious to get some place where she could return to normal.

The Tendos watched as she quickly disappeared, and then heard the door slam shut behind her. "She sure seemed in a hurry," Nabiki replied. "I wonder what was so important that she had to run out of here."

"Now, Nabiki," Kasumi scolded, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Ranko wasn't running away. She said she had to get back, so naturally we couldn't expect her to stay longer than she did. Besides, Akane doesn't seem to be in any real danger yet."

"Exactly," Akane agreed. "And I will never _be_ in danger, so there's really no point in even worrying about all of this. Besides, she probably felt like she was being interrogated—I can't blame her for wanting to leave."

"Forget I said a thing," said Nabiki, waving her hand dismissively. "But I still think there's something strange about her."

"Honestly, Nabiki!" Akane said in exasperation. "You make it sound like she's got some deep dark secret or something. Besides, so what if she does? Unless she's secretly working with that crazy Amazon from China I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Akane stood up and began to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going Akane?" Soun asked, watching his youngest daughter with concern. "I don't think it's safe for you to go outside at night without Ranma."

"Geez, dad! I'm not leaving the country! I'm just taking a bath. A bath in the next _room_," she added in irritation. "Is that alright with you or do you think I should wait for Ranma to get back so that he can _walk_ me there?!"

"What a great idea Akane!"

"Yeah," Nabiki grinned. "Besides, if you wait for him to get back, maybe he'll even join you…"

"Nabiki are you INSANE?!"

"Insane?" Nabiki asked, pretending to ponder the question. "Nope, not lately," she replied, grinning. "But really Akane, lighten up. I _was_ only joking. I don't see why you're getting so worked up anyway. Usually when we tease you, you just go and break a brick or something…"

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Akane complained as she stalked angrily out of the room. "I'm taking a bath. You know where to find me."

"Don't take too long," Soun yelled after her. "We're going to have a family meeting when Ranma gets back!"

"Sure, great," Akane replied over her shoulder. "Can't wait."

Nabiki watched as Akane finally disappeared from the room, "Geez, she's testier than usual."

"Really?" Kasumi asked, sounding shocked. "Isn't she always like this?"

"Now girls," Soun gently chided, crossing his arms against his chest with authority. "Please don't tease your sister. She's been very stressed lately. So please, for your father's sake, try not to push her too far. You know how proud she can be… it must be hard for her to have to depend on someone like this."

Nabiki laughed. "I'm not sure if 'depend' is the right word," she replied dryly.

"We're sorry, father. I'm sure Akane appreciates what you've done for her. And I just know that her and Ranma will get along fine."

"Well," Soun replied, coughing uncomfortably. "Let's just hope that Amazon woman doesn't find her way here after all. Then we can put this whole incident behind us."

As much as Soun wanted to believe his own words, he still couldn't shake the distinct feeling that his daughter was in danger. And if Soun Tendo knew one thing, it was bad omens.

* * *

Ranma poured the hot steaming water over his head, sighing in contentment as he felt the change wash through him.

It wasn't so much that he _hated_ his girl side—he'd been cursed long enough to know both its benefits and its rewards—yet there was still no greater feeling in the world than when he returned to normal.

Ranma dropped the hot water kettle on the floor and stretched, adjusting the ribbon on his pants for what seemed the hundredth time. "Well, better get back," he told himself, frowning.

He wasn't exactly looking forward to the 'family' meeting they'd mentioned, but there was no helping it. Ranma sighed. _Oh well_, he thought, _at least I'll get a few answers to some of the questions I was wondering about_.

And with that, Ranma took off in the direction of the Tendo Dojo—running along the fence as he went.

* * *

"Hey," he announced, entering the room, "I'm back."

"Welcome home Ranma!" Kasumi smiled, looking up at the young martial artist. "Did you get everything taken care of?"

"Yup," Ranma replied, plopping himself down on the floor. "Piece a cake! Did ya all meet Ranko then?" he asked, feigning indifference.

"Yeah," said Akane. "I was surprised. Your girlfriend seemed pretty nice—the complete _opposite_ of you!"

"Heh. Whatever," he replied, grinning slightly. "At least I _got_ a girlfriend."

Soun coughed uncomfortably, hoping to prevent a fight. "Yes, well, I believe there are some things we need to discuss. After all, I'm sure Ranma has some questions he'd like answered…"

"Well, there _is_ something I was wonderin'," Ranma said, leaning forward. "How exactly did Akane beat that Amazon?" he asked, curiously. "I mean, if she defeated her, then why do you need me? If she was able to beat her once, shouldn't she be able to do it again?"

"Well," Soun began uncomfortably, throwing a quick glance in Akane's direction, "the truth is Akane _did_ beat her—but, well… you see,"

"It was an accident."

Ranma turned towards the voice, surprised to see Akane glaring back at him, her fists clenched tightly, her face red.

"An accident?" he repeated dumbly. "How do you *accidentally* beat an Amazon?"

"What difference does it make?" Akane demanded, tearing her gaze quickly away from his. "The important thing is that I _did_ beat her. Who cares how it happened."

"Now Akane," Kasumi said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Ranma has a right to know these things. You never know what might be important later on."

"Important?!" Akane didn't even try to mask her frustration. "How many times do I have to say this?!" she yelled. "There's NOTHING to worry about! There's no way she's going to follow me all the way to Japan!"

"Yeah, about that," Nabiki said, stretching lazily. "That's not entirely true."

Akane turned her angry gaze on Nabiki. "What do you mean, 'not true'?" she demanded, a nagging suspicion forming in the back of her mind. "Please tell me you didn't do something stupid…"

"Come now, Akane, I may be a lot of things—but do you _really_ think stupid is one of them?"

"Well what did you mean then?!"

"Well, we *were* in China," she replied casually, shrugging. "It was a great business opportunity. And it's not like I knew you would end up fighting that Shampoo girl, and actually _beat_ her."

"N—Nabiki…" Soun began worriedly.

"Come on, Daddy, even _you_ can't blame me for leaving them my business cards. After all, it doesn't hurt to have connections over seas. And," she added, smiling, "that Amazon village can be very profitable if you know the right people."

Akane quickly saw red. "Business cards?!" she shrieked, not believing what she was hearing. "Geez Nabiki! Why didn't you just draw them a _map_."

"Oh dear," Kasumi said, blushing with embarrassment. "I did give a map to this nice lady I met when we were leaving."

Akane looked at her oldest sister, aghast. "Kasumi," she said slowly, carefully. "You do realize that they're trying to *kill* me, right?"

Kasumi smiled apologetically. "Well, it would have been rude for me to refuse after we ate their prize. I just thought we could make it up to them..."

Akane's eyes widened in disbelief. "Make it up to them? HOW?!"

"Well," she replied thoughtfully. "I thought it would be nice if I invited them all over for one of my home-cooked meals. But don't worry, Akane," she added, as she patted her younger sister's hand reassuringly. "It didn't sound like they were interested in coming."

Soun's body went rigid and his vision began to swim… and then he caught sight of Ranma. _That's right_, he thought with a smile, _from what I saw of his fighting ability, he should be more than a match for that Amazon woman_. "Well," he said, laughing good-naturedly, feeling more confident by the minute. "It's a good thing we have you here to protect her then, right Ranma?"

"Heh. Right." Ranma said, feeling smug. With a superior smirk, he turned his attention on Akane. "Well, guess you're going to need my help after all, huh?"

Akane said nothing. Her eyes were glued firmly to the floor, and her hands were curled into tight fists at her sides. He could see the anger radiating from her, as he looked on, impressed.

"So, Ranma," Nabiki said, smiling mischievously. "Don't you think it's a good idea for you to stay in Akane's room tonight? That way, if Shampoo tries to attack her, you'll be right there—ready to lay down your life to protect her."

"No way!" Akane screamed, her face red with embarrassment. "I'm NOT sharing a room with him, dad!"

"Of course not," Soun replied, a tinge of authority entering his voice. "After all, at the moment, Ranma is just a precaution—Akane isn't in any _real_ danger—there's no need for him to stay in her room. At least not yet," he added thoughtfully. "Right Ranma?"

Ranma nodded in agreement. "I can work just as well in a room next to hers for now. Like you said, she ain't in any immediate danger."

"But what if someone tries to come in through her window," Nabiki asked, leaning forward.

"Aww, that's easy," Ranma said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'm gonna be setting up an alarm that connects in my room. That way, if anyone tries to break in, the alarm would be activated and I'd be there in seconds."

"You sure know your stuff," Soun said, nodding his head approvingly. "Have you done many of these cases before?"

Ranma nodded his head. "Yup. Tons," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant, and failing. "And I ain't lost a case yet," he added proudly.

"Wow!" said Kasumi. "You must be very talented. And at such a young age too."

Soun smiled in agreement. "We are very lucky indeed."

"Yeah, yeah, lucky us," Akane grumbled.

"Anyway, it's been fun," Nabiki said, standing up, "but I've got school tomorrow so I'm afraid I must be going. Oh yeah," she said, stopping briefly to glance at Ranma. "Are you going to be going to school with Akane and me tomorrow?"

"Yup. At least for a little while," he replied quickly. "The agency already called ahead, so everything's set up."

Nabiki's smile brightened. "Great!" she replied sweetly. She could practically see money signs dancing before her eyes. "I'll see you at school tomorrow then, and don't be late." Whistling happily, she walked out of the room.

Ranma's eyes followed her as she left; a strange suspicion creeping into the back of his mind. He couldn't explain why, but he had a bad feeling about that girl. And if he knew anything, it was to trust his instincts.


	4. School Daze

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

An Alternate Reality Fanfic:

Same beloved characters, but whole new situations...

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides... I'm now in college, which means I'm broke.

If you want to read it like I wrote it, without all the weird formatting screw-ups that come with uploading, then go to my website and read it there. The formatting's MUCH better, and it's easier to read...

* * *

**Chapter 4**

School Daze

* * *

Everyone needs someone 

to hold them when they're scared

Everyone needs someone

to chase away nightmares

Everyone needs someone

whether it's to keep or just to lend

I will be that someone:

your protector and best friend

* * *

The sprint to school passed mostly in silence, though it wasn't for lack of trying. No matter what Ranma said or did Akane refused to acknowledge him. He tried not to let it bother him—after all he was used to dealing with difficult women—but for some unexplainable reason, every time Akane shot him annoyed angry glares, he found himself growing inexplicably furious. 

Which was strange… he rarely ever got angry. The ability to mask and control emotions was one of the first things he'd learned at the academy. But with _her_ he always seemed to find his control slowly slipping away. And this time was no exception…

He abruptly stopped running. Grabbing a hold of Akane's arm, he brought her to an abrupt halt. "What the hell is your problem?" he demanded, no longer able to hide his frustration.

Akane, looking irritated, snatched her arm away. "We don't have time for this," she replied. "We're already late as it is."

"Who cares if we're late! This is _important_."

"Oh, and my life isn't?"

Ranma frowned. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Oh really?" Akane took a step back as she glared at him. "All of this is just temporary for you, but this is my _life_ and I don't like some stranger like you suddenly butting in!"

Ranma's mouth fell open as he stared at her. "Butting in?" he yelled in disbelief. "Whose fault do you think it is that I'm here anyway, moron? I'm not doing this for fun ya know."

"Then quit," she shot back angrily. "You obviously don't want to be here, and I don't need you here."

"Ha! That's a laugh," Ranma said, grinning. "I've seen you fight, remember?"

Akane's face reddened. "Why do you have to be such a jerk?" she yelled, exasperated. "I never asked you to critique my fighting style, so just shut up."

Ranma, despite himself, smiled. For some odd reason he found himself actually enjoying their little spat. At least her angry responses were better than her silent ones.

"What are you smiling about?" she demanded.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know," he answered truthfully, the smile never wavering. "I just noticed that you're kinda cute when you're angry."

Akane's mouth fell open in surprise—surprise which quickly turned into embarrassment. _He was joking, right?_ She eyed him suspiciously, waiting for anything that would give him away: the curling of a lip as he fought back a laugh, the twitching of an eye—but nothing happened.

Suddenly flustered, she turned away from him. "It's a shame, really," she said after a moment. "You're _never_ cute." Without glancing back, she resumed her sprint to school.

Ranma actually found himself laughing as he followed after her. But the good feeling didn't last long: the closer they came to the school, the more uneasy Ranma found himself becoming. Akane had even begun to slow down; no doubt sensing something was wrong as well.

It didn't take him long to realize what.

There, standing before the entrance to the gate, was a very large, very angry, crowd of boys. Standing behind them on the steps to the school was Nabiki Tendo, looking satisfied and happy as she leafed through a thick pile of bills.

Akane, now that he looked at her closely, seemed unbothered by the whole thing. She had an air of indifference, if not a little annoyance, as they slowly approached the entrance.

"What's going on here?" Ranma whispered, no longer able to hide his curiosity.

"Nothing," Akane replied calmly. "This happens every morning."

"Every morning?" Ranma's gaze shifted back and forth between Akane and the group of boys. "What does?"

Akane looked at him in surprise. "You mean you didn't read about this in my file? And here I thought your agency was all knowing—all seeing—"

"Cut the crap and just tell me."

Akane ignored the comment and sighed. "You'll see soon enough." Stepping before the boys, she held her bag tightly in her fist as she took up a fighting position. "Okay," she said, "Who's first?"

The boys, however, ignored her. Dark, angry expressions clouded their faces as they stalked past, all of their eyes focused intently on one person: Ranma. Akane watched them curiously, unable to mask the surprise and confusion as she watched them slowly advance on her bodyguard.

"Nabiki tells us your Akane's fiancée," one of the braver boys spoke up. "Is that true?"

"Huh?" Ranma glanced over at Akane who was staring back, equally confused. Then, her eyes suddenly widened in understanding as her eyes fell on her older sister across the courtyard. Muttering angrily under her breath, Akane headed towards the stairs, leaving Ranma behind to deal with the angry mob.

"Nabiki," she yelled as she reached the school doors. "How could you?!" she demanded.

Nabiki shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for wanting to make a little extra yen," she replied innocently.

Akane's hands balled into fists at her sides. "Tell them you were joking," she ordered.

The Middle Tendo girl looked at her as if she had gone mad. "Akane," she answered incredulously. "Do you have any idea how much that information cost them? Forcing me to shatter their delusions would only make them angry and broke." Pausing for a brief, dramatic moment Nabiki set her piercing eyes on her younger sister. "Did you ever stop to think about them?" she demanded.

Akane's mouth fell open in surprise: she didn't know what to make of such twisted logic.

"And besides," Nabiki continued with a shrug. "I did you a favor. If they think you're engaged, then they'll finally stop challenging you. Even I'm getting sick of it," she informed her with narrowed eyes. "Besides, this way everyone wins, and," she finished proudly, "it didn't cost you a thing."

Akane paused momentarily, considering her sister's words. It would be nice to get to school every morning without daily obstructions, that much was true—but she had never wanted it to come about this way. If the boys stopped fighting her, she wanted it to be because she had beaten them into submission—not because she had stooped to underhanded tricks like this.

"He has a girlfriend," she said instead, hoping to appeal to Nabiki's sensitivities. "What about poor Ranko?"

Nabiki shrugged. "I'm sure Ranko wouldn't mind helping me make a little extra money, Akane. After all, it's not like you and Ranma would actually be _doing_ anything—it's an engagement in name only." Sighing in frustration, Akane groaned. She should have known that wouldn't work. She forgot her sister didn't have a sensitive side.

"Besides," Nabiki continued. "How else would I explain Ranma?"

"Well, think of another way," Akane ordered. "There's no way I'm letting everyone think I'm engaged to him." Before Nabiki had time to object further, she turned and walked away, ending the conversation.

Seconds later she heard Ranma's voice calling her.

"Hey, Akane," he yelled, waving her over. "I could use your help over here."

Akane glared once more at Nabiki before heading over to join him. Pushing through the thick crowd of boys, Akane finally reached him. "What is it, Ranma?" she asked.

Ranma smiled down at her as he took a step closer. "They don't believe we're actually engaged," he told her, his eyes laughing as he closely watched her reaction. "But I figured if they heard it from you, they'd havta accept it."

Akane looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "What do you mean, 'really engaged?'" she asked, speaking slowly and carefully. Silently, she prayed she'd misheard him.

Ranma laughed, grinning. "You know," he nudged her. "About how we're engaged. For real. Right?" he winked at her, and Akane felt like punching him.

"Is it true he beat you in a fair fight, Akane?" One of the guys asked, tears streaming down his face.

"Well, yeah," Akane said slowly, "but—"

"Dammit!"

"That jerk! He beat us to it!"

Any further explanation was quickly ended as all of the boys around her began talking and arguing at once.

Akane took this opportunity to move closer to Ranma. Kicking him in the shin, she whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Aw, Nothin'," he said nonchalantly. "Just having a little fun with 'em."

"You think this is FUN?"

Ranma shrugged. "Well, not so much fun as it is funny," he smirked.

Akane groaned. He was actually enjoying this! The idiot. "And what about Ranko?" she demanded, glaring at him. "Did you even stop to think about her?"

"Why would I do that?"

Akane looked at him, disgusted. "Because she's your girlfriend, you insensitive jerk!"

Ranma laughed uncomfortably. "Oh yeah," he replied. "Guess I forgot."

"Forgot?!" Akane turned away, visibly shaken. "What she sees in you I'll never know."

Ranma allowed a smile to slowly stretch across his face. "Heh," he told her, smirking. "At least I got a girlfriend. No guy would ever date a tomboy like you."

"And just who are you calling a tomboy?!"

"Oh no. You've become stupid now too!"

"Stupid? Why you—" Without thinking, Akane sent her fist directly into Ranma's face. Smiling, she watched in satisfaction as her 'fiancée' went flying across the school grounds, only to land flat against the brick wall.

Pushing through the large horde of boys, she stalked angrily towards the doors of the school, her head held high; never once glancing back.

"There's no way he could have beaten her," she heard one of the boys say. "Not with that kind of defense."

* * *

Akane could barely concentrate. Every few minutes she could hear whispering behind her—whispers which were quickly followed by long, intense stares she could feel burning into her back. They were talking about her supposed engagement. _Again_. When she could take it no longer she sighed in frustration, glancing at the boy who was the cause of it all. Sitting next to her was an oblivious Ranma, who was listening intently to the teacher's lecture, quietly taking notes. She couldn't understand why he was paying attention anyway… It wasn't like he was going to be here for long. 

At that moment, Akane watched as Ranma slowly turned towards her. He looked startled for a moment, but then he smiled—a slow arrogant smile that reached his eyes—then, he winked at her. Akane could feel herself blushing as she quickly looked away. That jerk. This was all his fault, and he had the nerve to wink at her?!

She stiffened, horrified, as she heard a whisper coming from the offending party.

"Hey, Akane!"

Akane kept her eyes focused straight ahead, ignoring him.

"Yo, Tomboy!" This time it was accompanied by a poke in the arm.

The pencil she was holding in her hand quickly snapped in half as she turned towards Ranma. "_What_!" she yelled, not bothering to lower her voice. A few seconds later she heard the familiar sound of her teacher:

"Tendo. Saotome. In the hall. Now!"

Throwing an angry glare in Ranma's direction, Akane headed towards the front of the class, Ranma following closely behind her.

* * *

If he didn't stop whistling, she swore she was going to kill him. She could do it: she had the means. She'd drown him in the water buckets if she had too. 

"Stop it," she ground out.

Ranma turned to look at her. "Stop what?"

"Whistling."  
He stuck his tongue out at her, and smirked. "Don't wanna," he said.

Akane's grip on the water buckets tightened.

"What was that back there anyway?" Ranma suddenly asked. "All those guys… never took ya as the popular type."

"Oh… that." Her expression grew dark. "It's Kodachi and Kuno's fault," she muttered. "Kodachi made some big proclamation at the annual speech contest—said all female students should 'band together to rid the school of the insolent wretch Akane Tendo' or some other such nonsense."

Ranma laughed. "Insolent wretch, huh?"

The look Akane gave him quieted him immediately. "Anyway," she continued, sighing. "Kuno, feeling he had to 'protect my honor,' said that anyone able to defeat me _honorably_ in combat would win a date with me." Shaking her head, she laughed bitterly at the memory. "Ever since then, all the guys in school have waited by the gate, hoping for a chance to beat me up, so they can get a date." She smiled happily as she lifted the pail she was holding higher. "But no one's been able too yet," she finished triumphantly.

Ranma smiled. "Good to know that brute strength of yours comes in handy," he teased. Akane glared and stuck her tongue out at him.

"What about that Kodachi chick? Whaddya do to piss _her_ off so bad?"

Akane grinned. "The better question would be _what haven't I done_?"

Ranma raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We've never gotten along," she explained. "Ever since Kodachi transferred here after getting kicked out of her All-Girls School. She joined our school's rhythmic gymnastics team, but kept trying to cheat, so the other girls on the team asked me for help."

He looked at her expectantly when she didn't elaborate. "And?" he prompted.

Akane smiled. "Let's just say she's not on the team anymore," she replied happily.

Ranma laughed. "Well, they sound… interesting. Where are they, anyway? I don't remember seein' em this morning, an they don't seem like the type I'd easily forget."

"Oh, they're gone for awhile," she told him. "They got another lead on their dad and are trying to track him down."

"…Lead?"

"It's a long story," she replied, not wanting to go into the Kuno's long, detailed history. "But don't worry, you'll get to meet them sooner or later. Whether you want to or not," she added under her breath. "If, of course, you're still here by then," she corrected.

Ranma waved her comment aside. "Heck, if anyone needs protection, it's you," he told her. "I've never heard of anyone being threatened by so many weirdo's at once before… not counting myself, of course."

"Ha! Like anyone would waste energy on you," she replied.

Ranma leaned against the wall, easily balancing the buckets he was holding in his hands. "Aw, I _always_ attract trouble," he said. "You'd be amazed at the number of strangers that seem to have it in for me."

Akane raised an eyebrow. "No," she answered thoughtfully. "I don't think I'd be too amazed. I've met you, remember? I don't blame them."

"Gee, thanks."

Akane smiled brightly. "You're welcome."

Their eyes met for a moment, and for that brief second they forgot they were supposed to hate each other. But the moment quickly passed, and they immediately looked away, blushing furiously.

After that, the only sound in the hallway was of water splashing against buckets.

* * *

The moment the last bell rang, Akane bolted out of her seat and out the door, ignoring Ranma who she felt following closely behind. She had endured the rumors, the stares and the whispers as best she could, but the second she finally stepped through the school doors, she felt like she could breathe again. 

But the reprieve didn't last long...

Almost immediately after exiting the school she heard shrill, horrible laughter coming from the exit gate. Slowly, with growing dread, she turned towards the sound, knowing instinctively who it was even before she saw her. Like she feared, Kodachi Kuno stood on top of the school wall—a long, green ribbon, held stiffly in her hand.

Turning around, Akane walked back inside… or would have if Ranma and their emerging classmates hadn't been blocking her escape.

"Don't tell me," Ranma laughed, "that must be that Kodachi-chick you mentioned, huh?"

Akane nodded, cursing her luck. She had hoped Kodachi would be gone a lot longer—they had been gone for weeks at a time before when they searched for their dad. '_What made them come back so early_,' she wondered. She had hoped she'd at least be able to avoid Kodachi long enough to clear up the whole fiancée mess. Now she knew she'd never hear the end of it.

Groaning, Akane turned back around to face the crazy gymnast.

Kodachi Kuno dropped effortlessly from the wall, still laughing as she walked gracefully towards Akane. "Well, well, well. It appears that Akane Tendo has managed to steal another poor unsuspecting male from the female populace. Tell me, Tendo," she said, motioning towards Ranma. "What did you do to this one? Knock him out first before dragging him back to your lair?"

"Ha Ha, very funny," Akane said, rolling her eyes. "It'll be awhile before I have to stoop to _your_ petty tricks, Kodachi." Grabbing a hold of Ranma's sleeve she started leading him past the leotard-clad girl.

Kodachi took another step, blocking her path. "Leaving so soon?" she asked, her voice full of false concern.

Akane sighed in frustration. After the mess Nabiki had made, all she wanted to do was go home and break some bricks—getting into another pointless fight with Kodachi was the last thing on her mind. She turned to Ranma. "Hey, can't you take care of her for me?" she whispered. "You're supposed to protect me, right?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "So, you're admitting that you need my help after all?"

Akane glared. "Of course not," she whispered furiously. "But if you're going to be here, you might as well make yourself useful." Moving behind Ranma, she gave him a small shove, pushing him forward. "So get to work," she commanded.

Ranma glanced at her over his shoulder. "Okay, I'll help you," he said at last. "But first you have to promise that you'll be nicer to me from now on." Akane stared at him in disbelief. "And that you'll stop acting so uncute and macho all the time, and you gotta start to listen to me when I tell ya to do something as well as admit that I—"

"Oh, forget it," Akane muttered, throwing her bag to the ground. "I'll do it myself." Ignoring the other students who had filed out of the school, Akane began to walk towards Kodachi.

"Aww, wait a minute." An arm appeared out of nowhere, stopping her, and she looked up at Ranma, surprised. "I'll take care of her," he told her firmly. Lowering his arm, he took a couple steps towards Kodachi, fixing her with his most charming of smiles. Akane watched happily, imagining the look on her rival's face as Ranma washed the floor with her. The gymnast, however, watched him curiously, unaware of the danger.

"Your name's Kodachi, right?" Ranma asked, taking another step closer.

A small blush appeared on Kodachi's face, and she nodded, smiling seductively. "Yes," she replied. "But I am known by many names." Akane fought back the urge to gag.

Ranma seemed not to notice. "What a beautiful name," he replied.

Kodachi nodded as she too took a small step forward. "It is," she said. "But I have yet to learn yours."

"Ranma," he told her. "Ranma Saotome."

"Ah, exquisite."

Ranma shrugged. "It's okay. I guess."

Akane looked at him in disbelief, disgusted. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!" she yelled, rolling her eyes as she stalked past. "You call _this_ taking care of her?"

Ranma raised a questioning eyebrow. "What did you want me to do?" he asked confused. "Hit her?"

"Of course not, dummy!"

"Well then, what? She's a girl, Akane! No matter how crazy she is, I can't very well just drop-kick her!"

"So, what? Were you going to _seduce_ her then?"

Kodachi watched them closely, her eyes growing angrier as they seemed to forget all about her. "And what is this harridan to you, Ranma-dear?" she demanded.

"You're unbelievable!" Akane went on, ignoring Kodachi. "What are you? Some kind of womanizer?"

"Ha! You wish! You couldn't get a normal guy if you tried!"

"You are _such_ a jerk!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're an angry, uncute, tomboy!" he yelled. Putting his hand to his head, he laughed bitterly. "I can't _believe_ I actually thought you were cute this morning! A guy would have to be _nuts_ to find you even _bearable_ to look at!"

Akane saw red; pulling her arm back, she made a move to slap him. But Ranma was too fast. Easily he caught her hand in his, stopping it before it could connect.

If anything, the action only succeeded in making her angrier. "That's it!" Akane yelled, yanking her hand out of his grasp. "I don't even care anymore. I hope you and Kodachi have a wonderful life—the two of you deserve each other!" Piercing him with one last hateful glare, she turned around and ran out of the school yard, her long hair trailing behind her.

Ranma watched her go, suddenly guilt-ridden. "Great. Just great," he muttered. Frowning, he took off after her, cursing under his breath as he ran at full speed.

All of the students in the courtyard watched them go, stunned.

"Wow!" "Must be a lovers spat."

Kodachi, as if emerging from a daze, turned to the student who had spoken. "What did you just say?" she demanded, taking a threatening step towards the unfortunate boy.

Daisuke nervously backed away, looking to his friend Hiroshi and then the crowd for help… but everyone avoided eye-contact as Kodachi continued to advance closer. "Well," he began uncertainly. "He's her new fiancée, so…"

"Fiancée?" Kodachi's eyes narrowed threateningly. "What do you mean, _fiancée_?" she demanded.

"He—he beat her in a fight," he replied quickly.

Kodachi's mouth fell open in surprise, and she took a small step back. "You say he _defeated_ her?" she asked quietly.

Daisuke nodded.

Slowly, a smile crept over her face. "I see," she replied softly. Standing tall, she laughed, twirling her ribbon in the air. "Let it be known," she announced, addressing all of the students around her. "That I, Kodachi Kuno, shall snatch the very happiness out of Akane Tendo's hands! Ranma Saotome _will_ be mine!" Laughing wildly, the completely sane gymnast took to the air, quickly disappearing from view.

"Okay, now _that_ was weird," Hiroshi remarked. Classmates around him nodded their agreement.

Meanwhile, Nabiki Tendo stepped out from behind a nearby tree, smiling. Things were going a lot better than she expected... and if all else failed, at least things in Nerima would get a lot more interesting.

She just hoped Ranma and Akane allowed her to live long enough to witness it…

Holding her satchel tightly, Nabiki headed through the gate, trying to drown out the sound of gossiping students as well as Kodachi's lingering laughter.

* * *

End of Chapter 4

* * *

**Authors Ramblings**

Yay! I finally finished another chapter: I feel so accomplished! I hope it didn't disappoint. And hopefully it's different enough from canon to keep you interested. This chapter was a lot of fun to write—probably because it almost entirely revolved around Ranma and Akane, and of course it's always fun to show those two arguing...

Don't worry, I promise you'll get to see Kuno soon enough, as well as Doctor Tofu… and there will be more Ranma and Akane interaction, with 'Ranko' thrown in for good measure…

And now, for the real reason I'm sure most of you even read this:

Chapter 9 of _The Forgotten Game _is almost done. I should have it finished in one or two weeks—definitely before the next semester starts.

Now, see! I told you, you wouldn't have to wait as long as you did for Chapter 8! Stay tuned!

* * *


	5. Breaking Hearts

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By Angela Jewell

An Alternate Reality Fanfic:  
Same beloved characters, but whole new situations...

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides... I'm now in college, which means I'm broke.

* * *

**Chapter 5**  
Breaking Hearts

* * *

Everyone needs someone  
to hold them when they're scared  
Everyone needs someone  
to chase away nightmares  
Everyone needs someone  
whether it's to keep or just to lend  
I will be that someone:  
your protector and best friend

* * *

She could run fast, he'd give her that. But there was still no way she could ever _hope_ to outrun him. Smiling with confidence, Ranma continued running, his eyes scanning the area. His feet moved effortlessly over the metal piping of the fence, a skill he had perfected long ago. And then, to no surprise, he spotted her. 

She was still a good distance away, but she was walking now, her bag held before her, her head down.

Damn, she was still angry. He could tell just by the way she walked. Her back was straight, her body tense… and she was currently walking away from a light pole that was suddenly sporting a very large dent. Shrugging, Ranma fought back a smile. _Aw, well,_ he thought. _Not like anger was a new emotion for her or anything. _Grinning, he prepared to jump down to the pavement below...

"RANMA, YOU JERK!"

…and stopped. His head shot up, foot suspended in mid-air. _What the—? Had she seen him?_ Slowly, his foot returned to the fence as his eyes instinctively searched for the tomboy. She was still a good distance down the road, her back to him. Then, she began hitting a brick wall with her book bag, cursing his name with every blow.

Swallowing nervously, Ranma took a few steps back. "Hmm…" he wondered. "Maybe I should stay right where I am." After all, he could watch her just as well from here, he reasoned—at least until she had time to cool down. Which, from the sizeable dent she was making in another street post, didn't appear to be anytime soon…

Ranma frowned. He couldn't understand why she was so angry in the first place… it wasn't like he would've actually _done_ anything with that crazy gymnast girl. Sure, she was cute… but he _did_ have standards. And he woulda told Akane that too—was _planning_ on telling her—even though he wasn't sure why the opinion of an uncute tomboy like her mattered to him so much, anyway…

…And then to his surprise, that same tomboy's head suddenly swung in his direction.

"I know you're there," she said, glowering. "Now go away."

Ranma, stunned—and he hated to admit, a little impressed—hopped off the fence as he made his way towards her. It had been awhile since someone managed to catch him by surprise, especially when he was masking his presence… and sure, he had been distracted, but he was never one to make excuses.

Ignoring the death glare she was throwing his way, Ranma waved. "Yo," he said, confident that such casualness alone would annoy her.

Akane, true to form, scowled as she saw him walking closer. "Don't you ever listen?" she demanded.

"Nope," Ranma said, laughing. "Well, not to macho, uncute tomboys anyway," he added with a smug smile.

Growling in frustration Akane turned away from him, walking at a much quicker pace than before. Ranma, adjusting his pace accordingly, soon caught up and was walking at a comfortable speed beside her. They walked that way for several minutes, in complete silence as Akane studiously ignored him. Eventually though, she seemed to relax and resign herself to the fact that he wasn't going to just disappear.

"So, where we going?" Ranma asked at last, putting his hands behind his head.

Wordlessly, Akane held up her hand. The knuckles were red and badly scraped, and a little blood had started to bleed from the small abrasions. Before she had time to explain, Ranma had suddenly grabbed her hand in his, closely examining the wound.

"Hey!" Akane protested, blushing furiously at the contact. "What do you think you're—"

"You dummy," he muttered, ignoring her as he turned her hand to the side to get a better look. "What were you doing goin' around punching poles if you were just gonna get hurt?"

Akane quickly tore her hand away. "That's why I'm going to Doctor Tofu's," she explained, her voice suddenly soft. "He'll have me fixed up in no time." At the mention of the family doctor, the girl beside him began to smile; all of her remaining anger seemingly draining away.

Ranma watched her suspiciously for a moment, suddenly remembering what she had said the day they first met.

…_I already have someone I like_…

Could the guy she likes be her doctor—that Tofu guy?

A strange tightening in his chest started to form at that thought, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

* * *

It wasn't long before they reached a plain square building, the words 'acupressure, acupuncture, moxibustion' written in large black letters on a wooden sign. Ranma sneered, unimpressed. This place didn't look so hot… 

Akane shot him a warning look, as if knowing exactly what he was thinking. Then, turning away from him, she quickly pulled the door open and headed inside. He trailed close behind, less enthusiastic, but still curious all the same.

Quickly removing her shoes before entering, Akane began to look around the waiting room, her bodyguard following at a safe distance behind her. "Doctor Tofu," she called, walking past the green couch and extra chairs that comprised the small area. "Are you in?"

Ranma rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the sickeningly sweet voice suddenly coming from the violent girl.

Stepping around a corner, she stopped abruptly, and Ranma found himself running into her back. "Geez, Akane," he complained, backing up. "Whaddya do that for?" Annoyed, he glanced up at the girl in front of him—the girl whose eyes were wide, and who looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

Following her gaze, Ranma peered around the corner, and his mouth fell open in shock.

There, standing by the coffee maker and styrofoam cups, leaning against a small counter, was the good Doctor Tofu and Kasumi Tendo. Kissing.

"Oh," Ranma said quietly, glancing at Akane with worry. She didn't look too hot—her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, and her mouth was drawn into a thin quivering line, her hands shaking. He had no idea what to say to her, no _idea_ what to tell a girl who had obviously just had her heart broken… and then, he didn't have to. A second later she was running out of the office, her long dark hair flying behind her, brushing against his shoulder as she passed.

Ignoring the oblivious couple behind him, Ranma turned and followed after her. Heartbroken or no, she was still his client. He couldn't let her just wander around town by herself—especially if that Amazon was in the area, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Dutifully, he left the building, quickly hopping onto the nearest fence as he reached the street, spotting Akane a good distance ahead.

She was running now, her school bag flying beside her. He was sure she was crying—most girls would be. And that thought alone made him pause; he wasn't sure how to handle a crying girl, let alone what to say to make one feel better… and they sure as hell didn't teach that kind a' stuff at the academy.

But he wouldn't get anywhere just watching her from a distance. Determined to actually _do_ something, Ranma jumped off the fence—and suddenly felt a wave of cold water hit him head on. Before he knew it, his clothes were sopping wet and a few sizes too large; an old lady with a ladle stood innocently behind him, happily watering her sidewalk.

Ranma groaned. Just her luck...

Wringing her wet shirt, she tied the drawstring of her pants tighter around her waist and sighed as she started following Akane again. The other girl had started walking at a more sedate pace, and Ranma trailed behind, dragging her fingers along the fence as she walked.

What to do…what to do…

Akane might get a little freaked if some pseudo-stranger just walked up to her and tried to cheer her up. An how would she explain _Ranma's_ absence anyway? It wouldn't do if he kept disappearing whenever it was convenient… Akane might start to get suspicious.

On the other hand, it'd be too embarrassing to comfort her as a guy. 'Sides, if people saw him talking to a weeping girl, they might think _he_ was actually the one making her cry.

Feh, perhaps it _was_ better to be a girl after all.

With newfound resolve, and putting the largest fake smile she could manage on her face, Ranma ran to catch up with the other girl—a feat that wasn't hard, considering Akane's pace had slowed to almost a creep.

"Hey!" Ranma yelled cheerfully, stepping in front her, "fancy meeting you here, Akane!"

The fake smile didn't take long to disappear. Akane, if it were possible, looked even _worse_ than she had feared. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and fresh trails of tears had dried on her face, leaving her eyes puffy and red from crying

Akane quickly lowered her head, wiping her eyes dry with her sleeves. "Hi, Ranko," she replied half-heartedly.

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked, feigning surprise. "Ya seem kinda upset. You okay?"

Akane nodded, though her shoulders were slumped and she looked anything _but_ okay. "Oh, oh I'm fine, really," she replied, laughing bitterly at something only she knew. Slowly she headed towards a nearby empty bench and sitting down, stared at the book bag she had placed carefully in her lap.

Ranma sat down awkwardly beside her, unsure what to do next. She kept glancing nervously at Akane every few minutes, her mouth half-open as she prepared to say _some_thing helpful, uplifting… until she finally gave up and settled for silence.

She tried to concentrate on something else in the meantime, the birds nearby, a couple of noisy kids who were chasing each other around some trees… but her eyes kept drifting back to the girl beside her. Akane's long hair was framing her face, and her hands had begun to tighten around her bag's handle.

"I—I really liked him," Akane said at last, her voice so low Ranma had to strain to hear. "I've liked him ever since I was nine. I always knew he liked Kasumi—everyone does—but…" she sighed for a moment, gripping her book bag even tighter. "I never knew she liked him back." Wiping at her eyes again, she laughed sadly. "I feel like such a fool."

"No," Ranma replied just as quietly, "you're not. How were you to know? Kasumi ain't the easiest person to read, ya know."

Akane laughed again. "No. No she's not," she agreed, a hint of a smile on her face.

Again they grew quiet, and Ranma glanced once more at Akane. Now she was staring intently at the ground, not saying a word. Ranma leaned back and rested against the bench, though his eyes never left the other girl. "It uh, musta been a shock," she said, watching her closely. "Seeing em kissin' like that... you sure you're okay?"

Akane nodded, but then stopped suddenly as she turned to look at Ranma in confusion. "How—how did you know I saw them kissing?" she asked.

Ranma froze, her eyes instantly widening.

Aww, _crap_!

Akane's mouth fell open and her fists shook; abruptly she stood. "Just great," she muttered irritably. "The whole _town_ already knows!" Ranma watched as Akane's grip on her book bag seemed to tighten even more—her knuckles, turning white.

"Uh, actually," Ranma began, eyeing her warily.

"Don't worry," Akane interrupted, throwing herself back down on the bench with a sigh. "It was bound to get out eventually. I just didn't know that news _travels_ that fast."

"Yeah," Ranma said, laughing nervously. "Neither did I."

Akane suddenly smiled; a real smile that reached her eyes. "My dad's certainly in for a shock though."

Ranma nodded as she lifted her head to glance over at Akane. The other girl's head was titled slightly, her gaze fixed to the sky as the wind blew her hair, causing stray strands to escape from its bow, framing her face perfectly. Ranma could feel her heart tightening in her chest as she watched her—her own face burning as she suddenly blushed. Quickly she looked away, embarrassed and confused. _**Why** was the dumb tomboy having that effect on her!_

Akane looked over at her then, and smiled.

"I like you like that," Ranma said quietly, her eyes quickly returning to stare shyly at the ground.

Akane frowned in confusion. "Like what?" she asked.

"Laughing," she explained and her blush deepened. "Smiling. It looks a lot better on ya."

Akane looked surprised for a moment, but then her smile slowly grew as she slapped the other girl lightly on the shoulder. "Why, Ranko," she teased. "What would Ranma think?" Standing up, she stretched, her arms raised high above her head, her bag on the bench. "Besides," she continued, turning her gaze to the sky. "I couldn't stay sad forever, could I?" A hint of sadness still remained despite her words, but she turned to look again at Ranma and smiled. "And a good cry is just what I needed. I already feel a lot better."

Ranma couldn't help but smile at that. "I'm glad."

Leaning forward, the other girl's expression suddenly turned coy. "Do you know what would make me feel even better?" she asked.

Ranma was tempted to back away… not liking the way the other girl was looking at her. "No… what?"

Akane grinned happily. "Ice cream," she said, laughing. "It's the cure for everything."

Ranma, relieved, quickly stood up. "Sounds good," she said, trying to hide her excitement. She was already imagining all of the delicious things she would buy—things she never _dared_ order as a guy.

"Great," Akane replied happily. "And you're buying, of course." She bent down to grab her book bag… she suddenly stopped. Her long dark hair had suddenly fallen over her shoulder, and she stared at it… no longer hearing Ranma's good-natured complaints, or the sound of a screaming child running past… she saw the ribbon, tied perfectly towards the end—just like Kasumi's, only longer—and felt her heart catch in her throat.

Ranma noticed her serious expression, and gently nudging her asked, "You okay?"

Forcing a smile, Akane quickly stood up, gripping her book bag just a tad bit tighter. "Yeah," she replied, a small waver in her voice. "I just… I need to make a quick stop first," she explained, glancing down at the ground.

"What's the matter?" Ranma asked.

"Nothing," she replied, shrugging. "Should we go find Ranma so he can join us for ice cream though? He was with me a little while ago... he's probably worried by now."

Ranma laughed uncomfortably as she quickly cut her off. "Nah," she replied, waving the idea aside. "He could be anywhere. Besides, he refuses to eat ice cream since he's a guy."

Akane clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Some bodyguard," she muttered. "What would he have done if Shampoo had suddenly appeared and you didn't run into me?"

Again, Ranma laughed uncomfortably. "Nah, he woulda been here. He's real dependable, an, and responsible… and a **_great_** martial artist—not to mention the best at the agency."

Akane laughed. "Really, Ranko," she said, shaking her head sadly. "That's just cause you like the big dummy. To everyone else he's a mean, perverted jerk." Without giving her a chance to reply, she started heading out of the park, her bag swinging by her side.

Ranma followed at a more sedate pace… though every now and then she couldn't help muttering the words "uncute tomboy," under her breath as she walked.

* * *

She looked cute… the way she stood there, anxious and uncertain as she fingered the chopped strands, her eyes desperate for approval. "Are you sure it looks alright?" she asked again, biting her lip nervously. 

Ranma, fighting back a blush, quickly nodded. "It looks good," she said, her gaze drifting momentarily to the two ice creams she held in her hands. One was already starting to melt, and she could feel it starting to drip on her hands; but she ignored it as she looked once more at the other girl. "Short hair, I mean… it really suits you."

And it did. If anything, it made her look even _more_ like a tomboy—something he had considered almost impossible before. But even more than that, it made her look more mature somehow, more self-assured. Ranma was finding it harder and harder to tear her eyes away… Akane just looked so _different_—like another person almost. And then there was the way the strands perfectly framed her face, their ends brushing against her neck…

Heart pounding, Ranma quickly looked away.

What was wrong with him, anyway? He'd seen tons of pretty girls before—some a _lot_ cuter than Akane. Hell, he'd seen _beautiful_ women that put her to shame! So what was so great about that violent, stubborn, tomboy that would make him act like this? It was bad enough feeling these things as a guy—but even when he was a girl!

Really! He had limits.

Ranma, suddenly angry, held the extra cone out for Akane. "Here," she said gruffly, still avoiding her eyes. "I got ya this while I was waiting. Hope ya like chocolate."

Akane smiled as she took it. "Thanks, Ranko," she said, completely missing the sudden hostility in the other girl's voice.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Akane happily eating her ice cream cone as Ranma quietly sulked, refusing to even glance at the other girl. Soon, however, his own ice cream was gone, and he had nothing left to distract him. No longer able to stand the silence, Ranma cleared her throat noisily.

"Why'd you decide to get your hair cut, anyway?" she asked, watching her out of the corner of her eye as curiosity finally got the better of her.

Akane looked away. "I just felt like a change, that's all," she said evasively.

Ranma nodded, not completely convinced. The expression on Akane's face just then, told her it was much more than that. But before she could question the other girl further, she spotted the Tendo Dojo up ahead. Akane was eyeing the gate nervously, no doubt preparing herself for when she saw Kasumi.

There couldn't have been a better cue; Ranma was impatient to turn back into a guy.

"I really should get back to the agency," she explained, a little too eagerly. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Akane said, waving the concern aside.

Ranma grinned. "Good," she replied, relieved. "I'll make sure you get into the house alright before I go though… just to be safe. The agency would kill me if Xian Pu showed up the minute I left, and you got hurt."

"Actually, I'd welcome the challenge," Akane said with a laugh. "The only thing that seems to cheer me up besides a good cry and ice cream is a good fight."

Ranma couldn't help but smile at that… she really was a tomboy.

"Thanks again for today, Ranko," Akane said, bowing in thanks. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't run into me like you did."

"Aww, it was nothin'."

Akane shook her head. "It really meant a lot to me," she said, her expression serious. "Friends?" Extending one hand, she looked at Ranma expectedly, patiently waiting.

"Sure," Ranma said, taking the other girl's hand in hers in a friendly handshake. It was always good to have another ally; she had enough enemies as it was…

Akane smiled happily, and released the other girl's hand. "I'll see you later, Ranko," she said, before waving goodbye one more time before turning and disappearing completely thru the gate.

Ranma waited several minutes; wanting to be sure she was gone. Then, glancing briefly down both sides of the street, she quickly withdrew a hot water bottle from her bag, eager for the chance to become a guy again. It took only a second to dump its contents over her head… only a second for the cold water to wash over her, for her body to grow while other parts disappeared completely.

After it was all over, he was standing in the street—chilly, wet, but all male. He never felt so relieved…

…Until he heard the sound of someone clapping behind him.

Ever-so-slowly he turned, a new fear rising within him: there, emerging from behind a large brick pillar was Nabiki Tendo. Smiling.

"My," she said. "_That_ was interesting."

* * *

End of Chapter 5

* * *

**  
Authors Ramblings**

Wow. I'm REALLY sorry this took so long to write! My only real excuse is school... and of course my own laziness. But aww, well. At least I got _something_ written.

As for the status of my other stories in case you're curious:

(June 24, 2005)

_She Walks In Beauty_

I've been working a lot on this… which is another reason why it took so much longer to get Chapter 5 of _The Protector_ out. At the moment, Chapter 2 is about 77 percent complete, and should be done in the next couple weeks or so, I'm guessing. It's turning out to be pretty long, which is what I figured. I'm also more tempted to work on the last two chapters of this story than the current one… which is another reason it's taking so long. Anyway, yeah, the very ending (the epilogue) is written, so it's just a matter of _getting_ there. :D

_The Forgotten Game_

Sorry, I'm not far at all. All of my attention has been on _She Walks in Beauty _and _The Protector_. I'll try to get more written, but I'm afraid it may be awhile. I think there are only about 4-5 chapter left though, so luckily, Volume 1 is almost done! And, yeah, I don't know what I was thinking in Chapter 9—I really do know the difference between _to_ and _too_, so I feel really embarrassed. I'll get around to fixing them eventually… I'm just too lazy to do it now.


	6. Love Connection!

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By Angela Jewell

_An Alternate Reality Fanfic:  
Same beloved characters, but whole new situations..._

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides, it's really not worth the legal fees: I'm broke.

* * *

**Chapter 6**  
Love Connection?

* * *

Everyone needs someone…  
to hold them when they're scared.  
Everyone needs someone…  
to chase away nightmares.  
Everyone needs someone…  
whether it's to keep or just to lend  
I will be that someone:  
your protector and best friend

* * *

There was no doubt about it… Nabiki Tendo had some kind of weird power. How else could he explain the strange, unnatural feelings she was setting off—feelings no skilled martial artist should ever have to experience? Looking into her cold, dark eyes, he felt uncomfortable, vulnerable, and very, very open. Like a deer caught in headlights, he could do nothing but sit there stupidly, and wait for the coming collision.

…Nabiki Tendo _was_ that collision.

No matter where he looked, there was no escape. The moment she started firing off her questions, she'd get the answers she was looking for whether he wanted her to or not. Ranma had enough problems as it was… he _definitely_ didn't need another one in the form of Nabiki Tendo.

So once the inquisition began, he told her everything. About his father, his curse, and how he ended up at the academy in the first place.

If anything, her reaction only spurred him on…

She didn't act skeptical, disgusted, or afraid—heck, she didn't even seem _surprised_. And the fact that he had lied to her entire family about his curse didn't even seem to faze her! In fact, if anything, he'd say she looked amused by the whole thing.

"So you see," he continued, looking up from the water glass Nabiki had thought it funny to order for him, "_that's_ why I decided to keep it secret. There ain't no point revealing it, not when it's more useful hidden." He paused for a moment, and looking up at Nabiki, swallowed nervously. He could only imagine how much his next question was gonna cost him. "So… you won't say anything, right?" he asked. "You'll keep my secret?"

Nabiki smiled. She looked cool and confident, like a woman who knew she held all the cards—and of course, in this case, she **did**. "Well, that depends," she said, deliberately allowing the words to trail off.

Putting a hand to his head, Ranma groaned. He _knew_ Nabiki Tendo—at least, as much as anyone _could_ know her—but reading a short description of the money-hungry, middle Tendo daughter in a quickly gathered case-file, did little to prepare him for how to deal with the real thing. Here he was, learning first-hand—and he could already feel his wallet growing lighter as a result.

Sometimes, being a martial artist meant knowing when to call it quits—when to cut your losses, and retreat—this was one of those times.

"Okay, sure, whatever you want," he told her, throwing up his hands in surrender. "I gotta be gettin' back either way—I can't be leaving Akane alone, what with Shampoo huntin' her and all. Just—send me a bill or somethin'." Standing up, Ranma prepared to beat a hasty retreat, only to be stopped by the sound of Nabiki's voice.

"Forgetting something?" she asked, nodding perceptibly towards the small dish of ice cream and the cup of coffee she'd ordered for herself.

_Of course, _he thought, _how stupid of me_. Digging into his pockets, Ranma pulled out a ¥5,000 note, and threw it on the table. "Keep the change," he muttered.

"My pleasure," said Nabiki.

Ranma couldn't leave the coffee shop fast enough. His original opinion of this case was steadily changing. Now he was afraid he wouldn't be able to _afford_ it…

* * *

_He __**really**__ should have seen this coming..._

Ranma pushed the anger and frustration aside, plastering a fake smile on his face as he returned her happy little wave with one of his own. When she finally passed by, he let his arm fall back to his side and released a long sigh of relief.

_Stupid, __**stupid**__ Nabiki…_

The students lingering in the hall had the good sense to look away—the few who didn't, received a withering glare for their trouble and a silent threat of more to come. Soon, the only ones remaining in the hallway were Ranma and Akane.

_Well_, he thought ruefully, _another potential disaster narrowly avoided… _

He could see Akane out of the corner of his eye, giving him strange looks.

…_Or not_.

"Ranma," she began at last, no longer able to contain her curiosity. "Why does Nabiki keep looking at you and waving? And why does she keep asking you if you'd like a cold glass of water?"

"Err, it's nothing, really," he said, brushing the question away. "She just, uh, helped Ranko with something. That's all. Guess I'm their go-between or something."

Akane didn't look completely convinced, but she replied with a half-hearted "Oh," and let the question drop anyway.

That was fine by Ranma. Not having to worry about Akane left him free to focus his energy on other, more important issues. Like, for instance, how to stop Nabiki Tendo; or the best way to get revenge on Nabiki Tendo without getting caught; or how to get Nabiki to stop dropping hints about his curse _**every**_ single time they were within ten feet of each other.

Man, she was driving him crazy! If she made _one_ more stupid joke about water, he didn't know what he'd do!

Again, he found himself wondering how one person could be so infuriating… so evil. Was _**everyone**_ in Nerima this deranged…?

The answer (though he wasn't exactly looking for one) came in the form of loud, shrill laughter; followed closely by a shower of black rose-petals.

* * *

Kodachi Kuno was starting to freak him out.

It wasn't _just_ the fact that all he ever saw her wearing was a plain green leotard, and little else… but mainly the fact that she seemed hopelessly, _obsessively_, in love with him. That in itself wasn't exactly unusual—he was a handsome, talented martial artist, after all. But Kodachi's way of expressing that love was strange and disturbing to say the least. In that twisted deranged head of hers, she'd proclaimed Akane Tendo the last person standing in the way of their "holy union" and had tripled her efforts to "eradicate" her foe once and for all.

Ranma knew all of this because she had **told** him so.

…Yes. Something about the girl was definitely _**not**_ normal…

He had caught his very first glimpse of it earlier that morning, when Kodachi (from her position on top of the school's fence) suddenly threw a spiked club that was aimed directly for his short-haired charge's head. Akane, not breaking stride, had moved out of the way just in the nick of time, seemingly unbothered by the whole incident—as if dodging dangerous, flying weapons, was the most natural thing in the world.

Throughout the day, similar instances kept occurring. During gym class, he had been shocked to hear a loud explosion coming from the girl's softball field. Seconds later, he'd seen Kodachi Kuno, covered in black soot, her leotard slightly singed. The guys were quick to inform him that one of her exploding softballs had backfired on her. _**Again**_.

And then, there was the flowers incident….

The classroom _still_ smelled of rotten-eggs and garbage—the results of a homemade knock-out gas that had been lovingly left for Ranma in the form of a bouquet of black roses. Ranma still didn't want to think about what might have happened if Akane hadn't been there to intercept Kodachi's little "gift".

Yes. Kodachi Kuno wasn't normal. And if _she_ was this bad, he could only imagine what her deranged brother must be like!

How Akane had managed to survive this long without him was a mystery. She was either insanely lucky—or she had the stupidest, most incompetent rivals on the planet. Personally, he hoped it was the latter. Dealing with Shampoo would be a whole lot easier if all her attacks blew up in her face like they did for Kodachi….

The reprieve of Kodachi's absence didn't last long. Now, sitting in Akane's last class of the day, Ranma found himself bored out of his skull. For a moment, he almost wished Kodachi was there—at least then he'd have something to focus on instead of a long, boring math lecture. As it were, every few minutes he'd catch himself staring up at the wall, his eyes watching the clock.

He had long since given up the good-student-façade, and had reverted back to the more natural and believable state of a student anxious to leave. Even though Furinkan was no where near as bad as some of the other schools he'd attended in the past—a certain bread feud came to mind—when all was said and done, he'd always prefer the freedom of the outdoors or the openness of a dojo, to the confined walls of a school. Chaos seemed to follow him wherever he went anyway… at least the other two afforded some extra space to maneuver.

Not that he was gonna need it…

It had already been several days, and still no blood-thirsty Amazon had shown up at their doorstep. Ranma knew enough about Amazons to realize this wasn't exactly normal—especially when the kiss of death was involved. Chinese Amazons were fierce, dangerous competitors, who hated to lose. If that Shampoo-girl was a real Amazon she'd track Akane to the ends of the earth if she had to.

And _that_, he realized, was the problem.

Nabiki and Kasumi had handed them their address on a silver platter—map included…

…Shampoo should've been here by now.

The fact that she wasn't, had him more confused and relieved than anything else. He wasn't naïve or stupid enough to think she'd simply given up—Akane had that honor. Far as he could figure, she was probably buying her time, plotting some sorta strategy… that, or she was just a terrible tracker. Who knew, maybe she was worse than that idiot Ryoga!

Ranma laughed quietly at his own joke, and feeling amused, glanced over at Akane. She was chewing on the end of her pencil, looking deeply involved in the teacher's boring lecture. Every few seconds, she'd bend intently over her notebook to write down some quick equation, and then return her full attention to the front of the classroom.

She was the only one—most of the other students had given up a long time ago. Some appeared to have fallen asleep, while the others, looking bored and impatient for the class to end, sat stiffly in their seats, some slumped over.

Ranma didn't blame them. Again his eyes drifted longingly to the clock. Any minute now, he tried to convince himself, all while trying to mentally force the hands on the clock to move faster.

"Surely, my ears deceive me," came a voice, loud and arrogant from the front of the room. With mild interest, Ranma lifted his head, eyes searching for the owner of the voice. It didn't take long—all he had to do was follow the direction the _other_ twenty-four heads in the room were facing.

There, standing proudly in the doorway of their classroom, was a tall upperclassman. He was dressed in a dark blue hakama, a wooden boken held tightly in his right hand, looking self-important and arrogant… just the way Akane had described him.

Kuno Tatewaki... Kodachi's brother. It couldn't be anyone else.

Their math teacher, oddly enough, hadn't reacted at all to the interruption. He was still standing in the front of the classroom, seemingly oblivious as he continued to write out the complicated, lengthy equation he'd been trying to explain for the last ten minutes. Ranma couldn't help but wonder if he even realized Kuno was there...

Not that it mattered, he realized. Suddenly, the upperclassman—"Blue Thunder" he heard several students whispering behind him—began to laugh. A cold, dry sound, with no humor.

"Beautiful and fair, Akane Tendo, engaged? Truly, the fates jest!"

Ranma glanced at Akane out of the corner of his eye, surprised to see her head was now lying conveniently on her desk. Grinning widely, he bent over and poked her lightly in the arm. "Hey, Akane, I think ya got a visitor," he whispered.

Trying not to draw attention to herself, Akane turned her head so she was peering at him over the crook of her arms. "Oh, really?" she snapped. "What was your first clue, Ranma? Honestly! You're such an _idiot_!"

He merely shrugged as if to say 'yeah, so what?' and leaned closer. "What are ya hidin' for anyways? You got hired help, remember? That guy can't come within a foot of ya, without your say-so."

At his words, Akane seemed to brighten. Her entire face lit up, and she smiled suddenly; her eyes shining as she stared at him. Ranma swallowed nervously, and blushing, forced himself to look away. Suddenly, he had a very good idea of what all the guys in this school saw in her. It didn't happen often, but she really was… well, _cute_. For a violent tomboy that is…

"Okay, then," she said happily, sitting up. "I order you to keep Kuno-senpai away from me, Ranma—if you don't, consider yourself fired."

Cracking his knuckles in anticipation, he made a move to stand. "Heh. Consider it done," he assured her. It had been awhile since he'd had a real fight, and he was itching for a worthy opponent. Not that he actually thought the guy at the door could **provide** him with one—but beggars couldn't be choosers. "Just you watch, Akane. I'll sweep the floor with this guy and—" the words quickly died in his throat.

…Apparently "the fates" had bigger plans for Kuno…

The chime, signaling the end of class, saved him from his impending beating. Before the upperclassman even had time to place one _foot_ inside the door, class had been officially dismissed, releasing a throng of excited students straight in the path of the approaching Shakespearean Kendoist—the last thing standing between them and freedom.

Ranma watched in shock as the strange senpai was suddenly swept through the hallway amidst a flurry of excited students; screaming in indignation all the way.

"Well, that went well," Akane said, smiling brilliantly at the place Kuno once stood. Ranma looked at her crestfallen.

"Ah, geez, I wanted to meet the guy. Or at least pound him."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Something tells me you'll have more than enough chances, Ranma. Believe me… in some ways, he's worse than Kodachi."

"Yeah right," he said, following her out of the classroom and into the hallway. He couldn't imagine anyone being worse than that crazy gymnast. But then again, he had been wrong before…

…And that was when the wall suddenly, inexplicably exploded

* * *

It was reflex, really. The way Ranma pulled Akane safely behind him, trapping her against the opposite side of the wall as he waited for the dust to clear. _Stupid Kodachi,_ he groaned, watching as a shadow slowly appeared in the newly formed hole in the wall. He could literally feel Akane fuming behind him; her battle aura a tightly wound coil, ready to spring.

Maybe dragging her out of the classroom hadn't been such a great idea after all, he reflected—seconds later, Akane shoved him against the wall and out of her way, confirming his suspicions.

"Dammit, Kodachi," she shouted, her anger now directed elsewhere. "Can't I have even a _moment's _peace…" words trailed off, forgotten, as she slowly realized that it wasn't Kodachi standing before her.

Instead, against the backdrop of a brilliantly shining sky, weakened only by the dust her extravagant entrance had created, stood a beautiful, purple-haired Amazon; her violet eyes spitting fire.

"Akane," the other girl shouted, chui poised to strike, "you, I kill!"

Ranma reacted instantly. Grabbing Akane, he pulled her sharply to the left, just barely out of reach of a flying chui—his eyes, scanning the narrow hallway, searching for a quick exit. Akane wasn't offering much help. She was still frozen beside him; eyes wide and focused entirely on Shampoo. She looked like she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing… as if the idea of the Chinese warrior actually _following_ her to Japan, had never once crossed her mind.

He didn't have time to say "I told you so", though he was definitely tempted… if anything could snap her out of her temporary shock, he knew _that_ would. But the last thing he needed was to fight off an angry client AND an angry Amazon.

For now, he knew his only real option was to grab Akane and get the hell outta there. He couldn't fight the girl here, not with all these people around—not if he wanted to avoid an unwanted marriage, or a couple of student casualties.

…Which is why, when it happened, even **he** was surprised…

One minute, he was pushing Akane towards the nearest window; the next, Shampoo was standing in front of him, having somehow maneuvered herself so she was standing between him and Akane. Then Ranma's eyes were focused on one thing: the heavy weapon raised over her head, ready to strike. Without thinking, he swept the Amazon's legs out from under her, causing her to temporarily lose her balance—just enough to send the weapon flying out of her hands.

Everything after that happened in slow motion: the chui suspended in midair, directly above Shampoo's startled, upturned face—until, flipping end over end, gravity finally took over. It had to land _somewhere_…

…In this case, it was on the purple haired Amazon's head.

Without so much as a startled yelp, the girl went down.

Ranma stood there, shocked and angry at himself—staring in wide-eyed horror. It was an accident—just an **accident**! They wouldn't actually count that, would they! His mind was busy going over the multitude of rules the Amazons followed… searching desperately for some long-ago overlooked condition he may have missed. In the end, what it all came down to was that he was too god damned talented for his own good...

…He was doomed.

"Move aside base knaves! How dare you stand betwixt me and my beloved!"

Ranma turned to see the upperclassman from earlier weaving in and out of the crowd, making his way toward their general direction. He didn't have much time to dwell on it—seconds later, he felt a tugging on his arm, and looked over to see Akane pointing silently at Shampoo—Shampoo, who had slowly began to stir. His mind was screaming at him to turn and run… but his stupid, traitorous body, refused to move.

He was still debating what to do when Shampoo sat up, shaking her head dazedly as she began to look around. She scanned the mass of surrounding people with narrowed accusing eyes, and when she spoke her words were short and clipped; spoken in broken Japanese. "Who—hit—Xian Pu?"

Ranma began to laugh nervously, panic-stricken. He was too young; too handsome; too talented to be tied-down! He couldn't marry her—he _wouldn't_! With all these thoughts racing through his head, Ranma wracked his brain, searching for a loop-hole. It wasn't until he felt movement to his left, followed by a very distinct voice almost at his ear that his mind finally began to clear.

He didn't even wait for the crazy Kendoist to stop sprouting his "goddess Akane Tendo's" name. Grabbing the upperclassman by the front of his hakuma, he shoved him quickly before the furious Amazon; his own voice rising to be heard over the enraged voice of his senpai. "This guy," he told the purple-haired Amazon, pointing for emphasis, "this one here—the guy in front of you. Definitely!"

Shampoo eyed the stranger for a moment, her eyes taking in the blue hakuma, the arrogant expression, the wooden boken held tightly in his hands. He looked stunned and slightly confused by the sudden attention, but stood tall and proud, as if he were usedto it.

…Slowly, she smiled for him, her initial reasons for being in Japan completely forgotten as she stared fondly at the man that had managed to best her. Kuno, clearing his throat, nodded sagely. "Very well… if you wish to date the famous _blue thunder_ of Furinkan high, then defeat me in honorable combat. I shall permit no other terms."

Shampoo tilted her head cutely, her smile broadening as she slowly stood up. Her eyes were wide and loving as she stared at him, then, before "blue thunder" even knew what was happening, she had leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck…

…Kissing him.

Kuno stood frozen in place, hands at his side, his mighty boken having fallen from nerveless fingers to hit the floor. The hallway had long since grown quiet...

But nothing lasts forever. Soon Ranma was hearing muttered protests, and angry jealous shouts from many of the surrounding boys. Even Akane looked angry. Grabbing his arm, her tone disgusted, she asked, "Ranma, what were you _thinking_? Kuno may be a jerk, but he doesn't deserve to _die_!"

"Does that look like a girl who wants him dead, dummy?" Ranma shot back, gesturing to the happy couple. Shampoo had pulled away now and was staring at Kuno with wide, adoring eyes.

"Wode Airen," she said, hugging him fiercely.

Akane looked stunned… and very, very confused. Not giving her the chance to reply, Ranma grabbed her arm, leading her quietly away from the scene. Once they were out of the line of fire, he released a sigh—though he didn't dare reduce his speed. "Well," he said brightly, smiling. "That went well!"

Akane didn't look quite as convinced. "Yeah," she said. "But for _who_?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 6 **

* * *

_Author Ramblings_

Is it true? Did I actually manage to finish a chapter? Yes! (A) mission accomplished! Thanks so much to my friend Lisa (Lichan44 on this site) for going over this with me, and helping me work out the kinks. The transition between scenes, in particular, was a nightmare and would have been horrible without her help! ;)

I'm so sorry it took so long! Hopefully, updates in the future will be much faster. And I AM still working on _The Forgotten Game_ so have no fear!


	7. Fighting Windmills

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

**THE PROTECTOR**  
By: Angela Jewell

_An Alternate Reality Fanfic! Same beloved characters—whole new twists._

Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi... and tons of other people/companies I don't have the time, patience, or desire to name. Just know that I am not one of them, and have no intention of pretending otherwise. At least not out loud.

* * *

**Chapter 7**  
Fighting Windmills

* * *

For the briefest of moments, Kuno stood frozen, uncertainty marring his once cool and proud demeanor. From what he could ascertain, he was certainly not dreaming.

A girl really *was* kissing him. . .

Surreptitiously, he opened one eye, and then promptly closed it.

No, not just any girl—twas a _beautiful_ girl, he noted. Though in truth, the identity of this fair maiden was a mystery to him.

Of course, bound by the samurai code as he was, Kuno had no choice but to allow the sweet creature to do with him as she saw fit. After all, a brave and gallant warrior could not in all fairness turn down the affections of a worthy admirer; doomed though her esteem may be. So against his better judgment, he remained right where he was standing, a victim of both duty and circumstance.

Though truth be told, it was not altogether an _unpleasant_ sensation. Her lips were as soft as rose petals, and were endued with the sweet innocence of her carefree youth, and she smelled like the very heavens themselves. So it was, that when the lavender-haired beauty at last released him, Kuno could do naught, but sigh deeply . . . his heart overcome with pity.

How difficult it must have been for her to tear her lips away, yet here the brave creature stood still, smiling sweetly up at him, despite the pain.

The gods, it seemed, were of a mischievous sort. Why else would they see fit to drop a mighty tigress before his worthy eyes, and a kind, sweet, angel besides? Even now, his very soul ached at the adoring love he saw reflected in those violet orbs—and yet, Kuno Tatewaki (aged seventeen) no longer had that part of his heart to give.

"Wode Airen," she cooed; her arms around his neck, her heart on her sleeve.

Kuno did not speak angel, but instinctively knew she was declaring her pure, unadulterated love; and though custom may dictate a similar response, Kuno could not in all honesty deliver it thus. Not when images of his fierce and beautiful Akane Tendo marred what good intentions he'd be inclined to give.

If he were a stronger man, he would love them both.

So it was, that with a heavy heart, he extricated the lovely girl's arms from around his neck, and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, attempted to console her. Though in truth, Tatewaki knew that her heart may never truly recover. "I fear your love has come too late, sweet maiden—for you see, I have long since given my heart to another. Allow then, the memory of this stolen kiss to warm the dark and dismal days to come."

Ignoring the disgusted groans coming from the crowd, Kuno bent low to retrieve his bokken, and then, sighing dramatically, turned once more to regard his ill-fated admirer. "Adieu," he whispered, holding her gaze for an extended length of time; then, satisfied, he waded back into the adoring crowd beyond.

The image of her energetically waving from behind went unseen, and the crowd, disappointed that the show was already over, quietly dispersed. . .

If they had stuck around for just a few minutes more, they would have seen the purple-haired foreigner cheerfully withdraw a map, and then proceed to knock through another hole in the wall as she gracefully made her exit.

* * *

Akane was at her wits end.

The entire way home she'd tried to understand the incident she'd witnessed back at school, but still couldn't make heads or tails of it. And after all of her careful deliberations and random guesses, she'd come to only one solid conclusion.

Amazons were stupid, and she'd _never_ understand them.

Still . . . she knew she had to try. It was one of the most basic rules of combat: to defeat an enemy, _know _thy enemy. So again, Akane forced herself to go over what she knew of her reckless assassin.

First of all, the kiss Shampoo had given Kuno was very different from the kiss she received herself—that much was certain. When Akane earned her own mark of death, she had felt nothing _remotely_ romantic or nonthreatening in the gesture. In her case, it had been a quick, cold peck right on the cheek—not the enthusiastic lip-lock Shampoo had sprung on Kuno in the hall.

Was the kiss different depending on gender then, or did the _method_ of defeat play a part? Maybe the location. . .?

Akane sighed in frustration.

Not for the first time, she wished her father had brought a translator along on their trip to China—at least that way she wouldn't have to go on guessing. Ranma, for all his bluster and bragging, hadn't supplied her with a thing.

Even now, he remained silent as he continued to drag her along behind him at a brisk pace, seemingly unconcerned about the whole thing. And to her growing irritation, he showed no signs of planning to enlighten her anytime soon.

Akane considered herself a fairly patient person, but Ranma was wringing her patience for all it was worth. Honestly! Was it really so wrong to expect him to shed some light—a _fraction_, really—on the inner workings of the crazy girl trying to KILL her? Of course not! And if he kept on ignoring her, Akane was determined to start _beating_ the answers out of him.

"Ranma," she ordered, this time intentionally making her voice louder, her tone commanding. "Slow down! Stop! QUIT MOVING!" To her extreme lack of surprise, he didn't seem to hear her.

Fed up, Akane tried another approach.

She hit him over the head with her school satchel. Hard.

_Finally_ she got his attention. With a strangled curse, Ranma stopped walking, and began to nurse the throbbing bump suddenly forming on his head. "Dammit," he muttered as he turned to glare at her. "What'd you do _that_ for you stupid violent tomboy?"

With considerable effort, Akane managed to ignore his groundless insult, choosing to answer with a question of her own instead. "Are you going to tell me what happened back there, or do I need to wait for Shampoo to show up so I can ask her myself?"

Recovering rather quickly, Ranma rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid," he told her. "If you wanted to know all that, all you had to do was ask."

The desire to hit him again was overpowering, but Akane opted instead to clutch the handle on her bag very very tightly. If she hurt the dummy too badly, he'd be unconscious—then she'd have to carry him home and _still_ wouldn't get her answers.

With difficulty, she managed to ground out, "I've been TRYING to, stupid. Why else do you think I'd hit you?"

"Violent chicks _need_ a reason nowadays?"

Akane almost threw down her bag right then and there, determined to pound the jerk into the ground, despite the hassle. But before she could, he started to laugh, his hands thrown up in a placating gesture.

"Sorry, I'm sorry—I'll stop. Promise."

Akane eyed him distrustfully for a moment, but then sighed. "Fine. Tell me what you know, Ranma. _Then _I'll promise not to kill you."

"Fair enough," he replied lightly. "Honestly, I wasn't tryin' to hide it from you or anything, I've just been distracted is all." He gave a frustrated sigh, looking serious for a change, and Akane decided to cut him some slack.

"Distracted by what?" She asked him.

"Well for one, finding some way to get Shampoo permanently off our backs. She ain't gonna be easy to ditch, especially if she really did follow you all the way from China, so I guess it's the _permanent_ part I'm having trouble with. Amazon's aren't exactly easy to handle, ya know?"

Akane's tone softened. But only a bit. "If you've got any ideas, I'd love to hear them, Ranma. Two heads are better than one after all. Maybe I can help."

Ranma pretended to think it over, though secretly, he was relieved. Defensive stratagems weren't exactly his strong suit—if anything, he worked best under pressure, when all you had to go on were instinct, skill, and a bit of luck. But Akane looked like the type who'd excel at all that thinking crap. Having her here to help brainstorm and bounce ideas off of didn't sound half bad.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt," he said at last. "Though first, I should probably explain what happened back there—with Kuno and that kiss. We can start talking strategy and all that stuff after you understand what we're really up against."

Akane didn't reply but nodded eagerly, relieved to be taken seriously for once. So finally, with her blessing, Ranma tried his best to explain the complex (and often nonsensical, Akane soon learned) inner workings of Amazonian law. At least, what he'd learned at the agency . . . which, as it turns out, wasn't much. When he was done, Akane looked at him seriously for a moment, and then asked in slow, strained tones, "So, what you're saying then, is that Shampoo gave _Kuno_ the kiss of marriage? Is that right?"

Ranma nodded, and he watched as a small smile tugged at the corner of Akane's lips. "I see," she replied quietly. And then burst into unrestrained laughter. The sound was melodious and infectious, and Ranma couldn't help but smile at her reaction. At that moment, she never looked more like a girl; she was cute and ingenuous, with not a speck of tomboyishness about her.

He liked her like this—even more than when she was angry and pissed off. Though he had to admit, making her mad was fun too.

But Akane was too far into her good humor to notice Ranma's eyes on her—her thoughts were strictly on Kuno. Now that she knew her upperclassman's life wasn't _truly_ in danger, she couldn't seem to get over the novelty of the idea. Maybe he'd finally stop chasing her—what with being an engaged man and all.

At that, the smile on her face seemed to double in size. She was almost tempted to track down Shampoo and thank her for the favor!

But then another thought occurred to her, and her smile and laughter disappeared as she turned to Ranma, a worried look in her eyes. "But wait a minute," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Kuno didn't really beat her though, right? What happens if she finds out it was you? Won't _you_ have to marry her then?"

Ranma scoffed. "Like _**hell**_!" he told her, his voice firm with conviction. "There's no way I'm letting a crazy Amazon force ME to marry! Heh. I'd like to see her try!" For emphasis, he cracked his knuckles and gave a haughty laugh.

Akane rolled her eyes, immediately regretting she'd brought it up at all. He better hope Shampoo never learned the truth . . . if Nabiki couldn't convince the relentless Amazon to abandon her death-quest, she sincerely doubted Ranma stood a chance. Not with _his_ brain.

"So, what is your battle plan anyway?" She asked him. On the bright side, maybe all that time he'd spent ignoring her had paid off. "They must have taught you _some_thing useful at that academy of yours."

"Sure did," Ranma snorted. "Don't mess with Amazons. You'll lose every time."

Akane frowned in disappointment. That . . . didn't sound promising. "Umm, really. Nothing else? No weaknesses? No special Amazon-conditioner?"

"Nope," Ranma replied, ignoring her lame joke. "Run. Run some more. But that ain't really an option here, what with your family and all. Besides, she'd catch up to us eventually, so sooner or later, we're gonna have to fight."

Akane nodded her head. That's what she'd been afraid of.

Despite her protests to the contrary, Akane realized she wasn't _really_ a match for the Amazon warrior. Back at Shampoo's village, she hadn't stood a chance before she tripped and got "lucky", and now, thanks to that happy screw-up, she was forced to either flee like a coward, or fight to the death with some crazy girl with a loser-complex.

The real problem was, Akane _liked_ living. If by some miracle, she managed to make it through this ordeal with her sanity intact, she planned to live a whole lot more. So for now, she had grudgingly decided to accept Ranma's help, no matter how distasteful and shameful the idea may seem.

After all, contrary to what she'd been saying . . . he _was_ pretty good.

It was just a shame he already had Ranko. If he were free, she'd be tempted to hand him over to Shampoo herself—surely, finding her a strong male consort had to carry _some_ clout. Maybe it would grant her a get-out-of-death-free-card or something. And sure, Shampoo may technically have Kuno now, but their laws were so ridiculous, who was to say they couldn't have more than one husband at a time anyway. . .?

Akane almost laughed at the visual images _that_ evoked—she could just picture Shampoo grinning widely as she led Ranma and Kuno around by a leash.

Ha! It would certainly serve them right!

Still, Akane wasn't spiteful and she wasn't heartless. Even if those perverts Ranma and Kuno were actually willing, this was her mess, and it wasn't fair to leave it for others to clean up. Besides, she could never do that to Ranko. . .

In any case, _everyone_ had a weak spot—even Shampoo. All Akane had to do was find it, and all her problems would be solved! It certainly seemed easy enough.

Feeling a bit better, she turned to see Ranma once again staring off into space, hopefully deep in thought. "So then," she asked at last, eager to hear his plan. "What should we do next?"

Ranma, coming out of his stupor, shrugged helplessly. "Hell if I know," he told her. "Get back to your place, barricade like crazy, and hope your sister sucks at directions."

Akane glowered; her hopes dashed. "You know, you're not very good at inciting confidence, Ranma."

"If you were cuter, maybe I'd be better inspired."

Akane's response, via her heavy book bag, was not altogether unexpected, and Ranma took his beating like the man he always boasted he was.

* * *

When they arrived at Akane's house, it turned out Ranma had _some_ inkling of what to do . . . though his plan wasn't exactly awe-inspiring and as far from confidence-boosting as you could get. Still, Akane had to admit it was better than all the ideas she'd come up with; most of which had amounted to her hiding beneath her bed.

They had started in on his plan immediately: A large sign now hung securely on the front gate of the Tendo residence, the words CONDEMNED—STAY AWAY OR DIE displayed proudly in three different languages, one of which was Chinese.

Hopefully Shampoo could take a hint. . .

For added insurance, they had hung garlic and silver bullets above the doors and windows, though Akane doubted it would do much good—weren't those just silly old wives-tales or something? Still, she supposed they weren't exactly in a position to be choosy.

As for her loving family, they weren't exactly making her life any easier. Nabiki had disappeared quickly after school let out and Akane had no idea where she'd gone off to, and her father was in the dojo, praying to their ancestors to keep her safe. Kasumi was helping in her own special way—which consisted mostly of hanging up laundry, and pretending everything was fine. Which, truthfully, worked great for Akane, who still hadn't spoken to her sister since the Tofu-incident.

Which meant Ranma and Akane were left to do most of the work themselves.

Striking another nail into the wall, Ranma stepped back, impressed with a job well done. So far, every board he'd hung across their respective windows, formed perfect Xs, giving the rooms a suitable run-down, abandoned feel. Hopefully it would be enough to dissuade any wandering Amazons from trying to break in.

Feeling good about his plan, he looked over at Akane's handiwork and frowned. To say she wasn't doing so well, would be an understatement. The boards covering _her_ windows were dangling half broken off their hinges—most likely due to repeated frustrated blows via her hammer. The boards that did manage to cross the width of the window were lopsided—looking more like confused _V_'s than the standard _X_. He shook his head. He had no idea how the tomboy could screw up such a simple task, but somehow she managed.

"I give up," Akane told him, as she threw her hammer against the wall, and leaned back, arms crossed. "This is stupid, Ranma. You saw what she did back at school, and that was a WALL. Do you really think a couple boarded up windows is going to keep her out?"

Ranma gave her his patented hundred-watt smile; the one that said, don't-worry-I-_got_-this. And though many girls had fallen for its charms in the past, Akane obviously wasn't one of them.

"Is that supposed to make me feel _comforted_ or something?" She snapped irritably.

Dropping the act, Ranma shrugged. "Give me a break Akane. This is uncharted territory for me too, you know. Most people _stupid_ enough to go against Amazons never live to tell about it, so I'm having to learn as I go here."

Akane seethed. "And just _who_ are you calling stupid?" she demanded.

Ranma didn't bother to answer; though his eyes said it all. "Jerk," she muttered, as she kicked the wall. "It's not like I _asked_ for this to happen, you know! It's not MY fault they're such sore losers. Honestly! You-defeat-I-whine. It's a miracle they've survived for as long as they have."

"Well, nothing we can do about it now," Ranma replied as he nailed up the last board, and hopped back down to the ground. "Though I AM gonna kill Yamamoto once this whole thing's over. That lame-ass tricked me somehow, I just know it."

Akane didn't bother to ask him who Yamamoto was—she doubted she'd be alive long enough to meet him anyway. "So, what am I supposed to do if this doesn't work? Wave a white flag, and beg her to make it painless?"

"Jeez, Akane. Don't tell me you're throwing in the towel already. . ."

"Of course not," she replied defensively; for some reason bothered by the thought that Ranma was disappointed in her. More quietly, she clarified, "If I go down, I plan to go down fighting. But I'm not about to delude myself into thinking I can beat her forever. I'm nowhere _near_ that lucky."

"Aw, you're not giving yourself enough credit," Ranma told her. "From what I've seen, you've gotta be one of the luckiest girls on the planet. If anyone should be scared, it's that Amazon, not you."

Akane blushed at the compliment. It was absurd, of course, but sweet just the same. After all, if anything, she was extremely _**un**_lucky. She had Kuno and Kodachi to deal with on a daily basis, boy troubles at school, a father who cried at the smallest provocation, an older sister who was romancing her crush, another who seemed determined to compound her troubles rather than relieve them, and now, to top it all off, she was being pursued by a girl who wanted to kill her.

Honestly! If there was anyone out there worse off than she was, they had her pity _and_ her condolences. It did make her wonder though. What in the world could have given Ranma such a false impression? Surely he had to have more to go on than her victory over Shampoo. . .

"So, you think I'm lucky, do you?" she asked him, deciding to assuage her curiosity once and for all. "How so exactly?"

Ranma grinned, and a small laugh escaped his lips. "Well, think about it," he told her lightly. "You've got an entire school of jocks fighting over you, despite the fact that you're homely and have a bad personality, you managed to defeat an Amazon warrior with no real martial arts skills to speak of, you were born into a family with their own dojo but don't have the talent to appreciate it, and you got me, the best martial artist in Japan, as your own personal bodyguard. I mean, heck, Akane," he continued obliviously, unaware that the maligned girl's battle aura had been steadily increasing with every blow. "I bet if it _does_ comes down to another one-on-one fight, you'll have some sorta klutz-attack, and end up taking her out by mistake all over again. And _that_ kinda brainless luck takes skill!"

Immediately after his tirade was over, Kasumi heard a loud crash and looked up from her laundry, surprised to see a human-shaped spec suddenly soaring across the sky.

"Oh my," she exclaimed, pausing briefly from her task. "Wasn't that one of the windows Akane and Ranma were just boarding up?"

Before long, the spec had disappeared completely from sight, and with it, Kasumi's interest. Smiling sweetly, the eldest Tendo daughter quickly resumed her work, humming happily as she toiled.

* * *

Across town, someone else was toiling as well.

Frowning in consternation, Shampoo stared hard at the paper in her hand—trying to make sense of the nonsensical.

It wasn't much of a map.

There was a giant X marking what appeared to be Akane's home, yet failed to show how to actually _get_ there. It could have been floating in the middle of a park, the sea, or a cloud, for all she knew. And there were no road names or familiar landmarks—just random little pictures scattered across the page; the kanji _just_ simple enough that even Shampoo could make them out: "My favorite pork-bun store" "Delicious Udon Shop" "Tasty fruit stand."

Shampoo was starting to think Akane's older sister wasn't quite all there . . . but even so, ever the trooper, she had tried to follow the directions as best she could, and for her trouble, had somehow ended up in downtown Tokyo.

In the end, she'd been forced to admit that the map (if you could even call it that) was utterly useless.

Still, Shampoo was nothing if not persistent, and even that small setback failed to deter her. After all, thanks to Nabiki Tendo's business card, at least she knew that Akane was somewhere in Nerima, and in the very least, could be found at Furinkan High School. From here on out, the search should be as easy as taking flowers from Pink and Link. . .

Approaching a nearby phone booth, Shampoo hefted the large book into her hands and turned the page to the Te-section, an almost feral grin crossing her face as she found the name Tendo with ease. It was a fairly common Japanese name, comprised of almost three pages worth of listings, and Shampoo skimmed them quickly, checking to see if any of the numbers matched the one listed on Nabiki Tendo's business card.

None did, not that she was surprised. And since she had no idea what name Akane would be listed under, or the name of her father for that matter, she quickly proceeded to tear out all the necessary pages; eager to resume the hunt.

The first address on the list was for a Tendo Akira.

She'd start there . . . there was no time to waste, after all. The sooner she eliminated Akane, the sooner she could return to her village—with her honor intact, and a strong, handsome husband to boot.

Aiya! She couldn't wait!

Grinning, she leapt to a nearby roof; anticipation of the battle to come making her feet feel lighter and her heart, free. Never before had she been so grateful to be an Amazon.

**

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End of Chapter 7  


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_Authors Ramblings_

I apologize for the extremely long wait. I can't promise the next chapter will be any faster since most of you already know how incredibly slow I write. All I can say is that it will come eventually, and that barring sudden death, this story WILL eventually be finished (though truthfully, there's still a long way to go.)

Anyway, I have no idea how phone books work in Japan, or if the surname Tendo really is that popular a name. So let's just pretend that little section made sense, k? ^_^

And if you're ever curious about the status of any of my stories, check out my profile page where I'm constantly updating their progress.


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